


The Shadow

by volsung



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Dark Luke, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Jedi Leia, Murder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-01-25 00:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 37
Words: 224,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1622510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/volsung/pseuds/volsung
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darth Vader has lived with the belief that his child died two decades ago when he killed his wife. Luke Skywalker has always dreamed of having a father. On board the Death Star the two meet prematurely, leading to complications for both their lives.</p>
<p>As Luke slowly falls within the grip of the dark side, he realises what he must do, but success will depend on how much he is willing to sacrifice for his father, and how far he is willing to go in order to achieve his goals. Faced with his new allegiance, the already crumbling Alliance to restore the Republic will have to rely on a new source of strength as the Empire rises to become more powerful than ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rather dark AU in which Luke must face the dark side sooner than in the movies. It features mostly Luke and Vader's point of view, some Leia and Han and eventually Palpatine. Surprise characters will appear later on, as well.
> 
> Just a final warning: when I say dark, I do mean dark. There is unapologetic murdering in this story, and Luke deals with a lot of abuse, self-loathing and self-harm. If any of that is triggering to you I'd advise you turn back. That being said, I have never planned for this story to have a tragic ending.
> 
> I started writing this fic ages ago, probably around 2008 for the earlier chapters. It has been edited several times until I was satisfied with the way it is now. I've been writing this thing on and off for years but I hope to have it finished soon. (It was previously hosted on fanfiction net, so if it seems familiar, that's why. Thanks for all the support!)
> 
> One last thing! I'm a big fan of the EU (now called Legends), and this story does nod to it at certain points, but I'm certainly no expert, so I'm not always extremely faithful to it. Partly because of artistic license as well haha! I love the EU, but this is my own story and I don't get paychecks for it, so!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, locations or otherwise and am using them only for my (and hopefully your) entertainment. Everything relating to Star Wars belongs to the guy in the plaid shirt, George Lucas, Lucasfilm and Disney. Booooo.

There was a brief moment in which both Vader and Obi-Wan were distracted by a scene in the hangar bay, where several troopers were uneasily watching their confrontation; a group of people were running towards the freighter parked there. But they moved silently enough that the troopers paid them no heed. One young boy slowed in the middle of the hangar and uttered a small, frightened, "Ben…?"

When Vader turned his head back to face Kenobi, he saw that his old master had closed his eyes in concentration. A feeling of utter calm was radiating from him and for a moment, just a moment, he let down his guard and raised his lightsaber in front of his own face, the blue light somehow smoothing out his aged features. Without hesitating, Vader stepped forward and sliced his ruby blade right to left, cutting through Obi-Wan's body as though it were part of the air.

To his surprise, his old master was not cut into pieces. He had expected to be able to see Obi-Wan's eyes as he died, as his vengeance was executed. Instead, Kenobi's body seemed to simply melt away as the clothing that had surrounded it pooled down to the floor. The blue lightsaber blade retreated into its hilt and fell neatly upon the pile of robes.

Even as he heard the young boy's horrified cry from the hangar, Vader took several steps toward the fallen robes and patted them with the end of his boot. He didn't know why, but it felt necessary to check that his eyes weren't fooling him. Was Kenobi truly dead? And what of those words, his last words: _If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine…_?

A moment later, he pushed all these thoughts aside to concentrate on the present situation. The stormtroopers had opened fire at the rebels in the hangar. Vader spun round to watch the scene. The young blond boy was still frozen into place, staring at Vader with a look of utmost contempt, while Princess Leia ran towards the ship, shouting for him to follow her. A man wearing a smuggler’s outfit was already on the boarding ramp, busy shooting at stormtroopers with his companion, a wookiee. White-clad troopers were falling all over the hangar as the smuggler's aim hit its mark each time.

Vader's anger towards the Princess's escape and the incompetence of his own troops flared out as he strode into the hangar, palpable even to those who weren't trained to use the Force. The stormtroopers seemed to redouble their efforts at the sight of their leader, he noticed as he continued to advance on the young rebels. Princess Leia was mounting the ramp to the ship by now, still shouting out to the blond boy.

"Luke! LUKE! WHAT'RE YOU DOING?" She hesitated for a moment, and made to run back down to the boy, but the wookiee and the smuggler grabbed her each by one arm in order to drag her back to the ship. They were overwhelmed by troopers, with no way to get to their friend.

The boy named Luke seemed to come back to his senses suddenly and stopped shooting around him at the troops to instead shoot directly at Vader, who easily diverted the laser shots with his palm. The boy, now only a few feet from him, came to a halt. For a moment, Vader felt sure he was going to blindly make a run for it – the expression in his eyes made it quite clear how terrified he was – but instead he reached for his belt and drew a lightsaber.

A lightsaber! So this boy was a Jedi, then? Had Obi-Wan taken on a new apprentice while he was in exile?

Vader was proven wrong when the boy assumed a fighting stance that was, quite frankly, not even acceptable for a padawan learner. He covered the hilt with both hands and stood awkwardly to the side, visibly shaking. This boy was no Jedi. Even in Death, Kenobi managed to disappoint. Automatically, Vader drew his own lightsaber, the glowing red blade contrasting the pale blue of the boy's. The stormtroopers around them stopped to observe when Vader lifted up a hand and calmly ordered them to stay put. He barely even noticed that the ship in the hangar was commencing lift off.

The boy was also seemingly oblivious to his surroundings; his blue eyes were fixed only upon Vader, his hands still grasped the hilt of his lightsaber stiffly, and he was perfectly still.

_He has focus._ Vader observed. _And such raw energy. Almost like…_ He stared at the boy for a moment longer, reaching out through the Force to probe at his mind. Immediately he was met with a flurry of emotions. Anger and fright blended together as the boy's narrowed eyes surveyed him through his messy bangs. He could feel a pulsating, vibrant sense of justice coming from the boy, but also the strong knowledge that he couldn't do much to defend himself here. In all evidence, he was just a young boy who happened to have been given a lightsaber.

Just as this thought crossed Vader's mind, he felt something else. It was pure Force radiating through to him. The boy was strong with the Force but untrained, that much was clear now. Perhaps Kenobi was not so foolish after all… Vader sensed that in time, if the boy could learn to control this enormous power, he could be a great asset. His failure with Galen Marek was still fresh in his mind, but this one was different, he knew it.

A long ringing silence followed and Vader realized that the ship with Princess Leia had just left the hangar. The blond boy was still staring at him, either too afraid or too weak to make the first move.

"Poor boy. Do you really think you could defeat me? Your master is no more, he cannot help you now." Vader said.

"Don't…" The boy began, stuttering, He'd obviously not been expecting Vader to speak. "Don't talk about Ben! How _dare_ you talk about him?"

Vader let out a slow, deep chuckle. This boy had no idea what he was getting himself into. However, now that he knew what the boy was, Vader certainly wasn't about to fight him. Not yet anyway. To test him now would be a complete waste of time.

He put his lightsaber back at his hip beneath his cape and straightened up. The stormtroopers around him came to attention, so he gave his order: "Take him to the detention level. He shall wait there until I have time to interrogate him."

"What?" The boy jumped as the stormtroopers closed in and inexpertly swung his lightsaber at them. Vader took a step forward and quite easily wrenched it out of his grip.

"Careful, Boy. You'll hurt yourself." Vader said softly, but with just the right amount of menace in his voice. The troopers then grabbed the boy and promptly led him away. Vader didn't bother to stay and watch, preferring to return to his quarters for a while. As he marched down corridors, soldiers and droids avoided his path. Vader was quite adept at giving the impression that he was in a hurry and not to be disturbed. He knew his master would demand a report on the _Death Star_ ’s test fire soon and he didn't want to be late in delivering it.

He had nearly reached his quarters when he thought to look down at the boy's lightsaber. With a jolt, he recognized it as his own. It was the one he'd owned before Mustafar!

Vader stopped in the middle of the corridor which was, thankfully, empty. _No_ , he forced himself to think, _Anakin Skywalker made this lightsaber. And Kenobi must have kept it all these years. Why would he give it to this boy?_

Vader stared at the saber for a long while, forcing down good and painful memories alike, before reaching a decision. He could not fathom why this old lightsaber was in this blond boy's possession, but he would find out.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Upon reaching the detention level, Vader was apprehended by some troops. Gritting his teeth and straightening to his full height, he crossed his arms impatiently. "I am here to question the rebel. I think it would be in your best interest to let me pass."

Nervously, one of the guards stood forth. "Governor Tarkin ordered us not to let anybody through after what those rebels –"

" _I _think__ it would be in your best interest to let me pass." Vader repeated calmly, the threat implied. The man closed his eyes and gulped, but stepped aside. Vader walked into the detention area without another word, leaning down slightly so his head didn't touch the ceiling. Several troopers were following him, and they stopped in front of the right door. There was no need for this of course; the Force signature of the boy could be sensed from quite a distance. Why hadn't Vader felt it earlier?

The door slid open when a trooper punched in the right code, and they made to follow him inside. "There will be no need." Vader commanded, "I wish to speak to the rebel alone. And I shall know if anyone is eavesdropping." The troopers backed away and Vader strode into the cell alone, the door shutting noisily behind him.

The boy was curled up on the floor, holding one of his arms with the other hand as though wounded; he'd clearly put up quite a fight against those troopers. This only served to fuel Vader's curiosity. _Just who in the galaxy was this boy?_ He had sandy, dirty blond hair and striking blue eyes. His skin was tanned, contrasting with the white clothes he wore. These looked damp and dirty, but were all white, down to the boots. Vader didn't know what it was, but something seemed familiar about the boy, or rather there was something that made him feel uneasy. He was quite sure he'd never seen this boy before in his life, but still, he felt like he _should_ remember him. The boy was quite short, and had a lean frame to him. There was definitely something about those shoulders and neck...

But the worse thing about him were his eyes. As much as he was curious about the boy, he didn't want to look into those eyes for too long. It was undeniable: those eyes reminded him of someone. They were sharp and deep and obnoxious. He could already tell this boy was going to be difficult. An awkward feeling not belonging to him snapped Vader out of his pondering, and he was making the boy uncomfortable. _Good, that shall make it all the easier._

Never one to waste time, Vader got straight to the point. "How did you acquire this?" He growled, brandishing the boy's lightsaber. For a moment it seemed like the blond was going to answer, but his mouth snapped shut right after he took a breath.

"I'll have your answer one way or another, boy. Only you can decide if the process will be painful or not." He let the warning hang with a pause, before repeating himself; "Now, how did you obtain this? Kenobi gave it to you didn't he?" He felt recognition pass through the boy at this, and knew he was right so he added, "Why?"

The boy looked away at the wall, his jaw shut tight. In a moment of annoyance, Vader took three steps so he was towering straight above the boy. "Answer me!" He snapped, as he aimed a kick at his stomach. The boy let out a whimper and fell forward, clutching at his midsection with both arms. "Why should I tell you anything?" The boy asked suddenly, his voice very clear and concentrated. It was obvious he'd been dying to say whatever he was going to say next. "You killed Old Ben, you tortured a princess and destroyed Alderaan, my family is dead because of you… you… You killed my father!"

"I've killed many people's fathers, boy. Whoever he was, it is doubtful I even remember him. Why do you think you have the right to hold a personal vendetta against me?"

The boy sat up with some difficulty, but still managed to hold up his neck to glare at Vader. The intensity in his eyes was remarkable, Vader couldn't help but notice. His anger rang through the Force as he spoke. "No. My father was a Jedi before the rise of the Empire. If it rings any bells… that lightsaber you're holding… it was his."

Vader paused, hardly daring to breathe. The controlled breath of his respirator came anyway, but it still felt like his heart had stopped. This… this could not be. It was so impossible, he thought wildly for a moment that someone had laid this whole affair down as a prank. A cruel joke implying that, somehow, his child – _Padmé's child_ – lived. Abysmal memories came back to him in that instant. The dreams, the nightmares, of Padmé suffering and dying while she gave birth. Her, on Mustafar… _'Anakin, you're breaking my heart…'_ And his own rage, his own terrible anger as he strangled the woman he loved. The only woman he had ever, or would ever, love. And then, his master after his transformation into the mechanical Vader the universe now knew and feared…

' _Where is Padmé? Is she safe? Is she alright?' He asked, his heart aching at the thought of what would happen if… somehow… but no, he knew she must be alive… Palpatine's face, or what was visible of it under his dark, heavy hood, seemed to glow in the eerie light of the room as he spoke: 'It seems, in your anger… you… killed her.'_

_And then the pain washed over him, the regret and almost disbelief that he could have killed the woman he loved struck him like lightning. 'No! She was alive! I… felt it! She…' But he knew it was futile. Palpatine wouldn't lie, not about this. His master, whom he trusted implicitly, would not tell him this if it were not true. And so, he knew it must be. Pain replaced any denial he still felt as he freed himself of his bindings and let the Force explode from him in one horrible moment of fury._

He had relived this particular memory so many times in the past years, nearly two decades now, but it was somehow even more vivid this time. Nevertheless, he must be sure, absolutely sure about this before any decision could be made. So he continued to look down at the boy, vaguely aware that he'd taken at least one step back during the reliving of his painful past, and asked quietly; "Luke, I take it? What is your full name?"

The boy's resolve must have broken, or perhaps he felt that Vader was no longer angry at _him_ , for he answered tentatively: "Luke Skywalker." It was whispered, almost as if he knew that uttering his own name in this instant would change the course of his destiny forever. Vader was stunned. They hadn't even bothered to change the boy's name. He thought for a moment that maybe someone else carried that name somewhere, but it was quite unique and this boy was just the right age anyway. And those eyes, he realized it only now, those eyes were Anakin's. And his slight frame was entirely Padmé's. The boy had his mother's build, but his expressions, even his jawline from what Vader could see, was completely Anakin's. This was amazing. Apart from Padmé's revelation all those years ago; _'Something wonderful has happened. Ani, I'm pregnant'_ , this had to be the most amazing moment of his life.

"You're Anakin Skywalker's son." Vader finally uttered in deep brass tones, feeling slightly awkward saying that name he hadn't said out loud in such a long time.

Hatred and pain lashed out from the boy, affecting Vader too, at the mention of that name. "So now you remember him, huh? Do you remember how you betrayed and murdered him?"

"I won't deny that I was the end of Anakin Skywalker, but…" He paused, nervous. Should he tell the boy? Surely it was his business, his _right_ to know the truth.

The truth. The truth Palpatine had hidden from him – that even Obi-Wan had hidden from him. If this boy was truly his son, Padmé could not have died that day. For a fleeting moment he dared to wonder if she might still be alive, but now was not the time. Soon, the time would come when he would know everything, the whole truth. But for now, he owed it to his son. Lying to the boy could only backfire on him later; his son deserved to know the truth about his heritage.

"Contrary to what you've been told, your father is not dead Luke." He saw those blue eyes widen in shock and hope, but pressed on. "Anakin is just… I stopped using the name Anakin when I became a Sith. I ceased to be Anakin and took on the name Darth Vader." At these words, all the life seemed to drain out of Luke. Those eyes were now impossibly wide and he crawled away very slowly until his back was against the wall, shaking his head.

"What! What are you saying – that's… impossible…" He breathed, staring wide-eyed at the behemoth of a man he'd been told from the start was pure evil. Vader sensed his denial, the fear and loathing directed at him. He knew this must be hard to believe, and so he found the need to explain himself.

"You were hidden from me Luke. I only just realized… when I saw the lightsaber. How could I not recognize it? And now that I see you, I can feel you Luke. I am your father." The boy's hands went to his ears, covering them as he shook his head again. In that moment, he appeared much younger than he was, as the truth proceeded to break everything he believed. Vader could feel his pain and anger, but also something deeper; a short joy at the thought that his father was alive erupted in the boy's heart, but was immediately quashed by shame. Luke was not ready to acknowledge him. "It's not true!" He whined, "How can it be true?"

Vader didn't answer, but rather asked a question of his own. "You said… your family is dead because of me. What did you mean? Who –"

Luke dared to cut across him; "My aunt and uncle. They took me in when I was born. Stormtroopers burned down the homestead while searching for some droids. I was out that day." Vader had a fleeting memory of meeting someone who claimed to be his step-brother. It was on Tatooine, when he'd returned to save his mother. He personally would never have considered those people as family, however. "I see." Vader said quietly, seeing as any hope that Padmé might have survived was crushed by this theory. "Your mother," he said and saw Luke's eyes snap up to him, "You're quite sure that she's…?" He found himself unable to say it.

"I never knew her." Luke said, and that was answer enough for Vader. He’d known in his heart it was futile anyway. Still, the fact remained she'd lived long enough to give birth. And that meant Palpatine had lied, that old bastard…

"What was she like?" Luke suddenly asked, his voice tiny and awkward again. Vader found himself incapable once more of speaking about this, so he changed the subject.

"I wish for you to come with me to Coruscant. We will speak about our present… predicament… later." He turned to leave, adding one last thing before opening the door; "I shall arrange for you to be taken to more comfortable quarters." As the door slid open, he registered the boy's cry; "Wait!" but he ignored it, leaving the cell. He needed to take a step back and think about this for now. And more importantly, he needed to ensure that nobody find out about Luke.

He locked the door behind him and walked back down the corridor to the control room. The guards were studying him nervously, and he could read them quite easily. They were waiting for him to leave so they could inform Tarkin of the situation. Vader stopped in the middle of the room, and began to speak softly. "The boy is to be moved to a chamber adjacent to my own, immediately."

The guard straightened smartly and saluted. "As you wish, Lord Vader." He then gestured to his men and they went to retrieve the boy. Not wishing to confront Luke again so soon, Vader let himself out and made his way to the observation deck where he knew he would find Tarkin. It was very important that he make himself very clear: the boy was his responsibility, and none of Tarkin's business.

Indeed, Tarkin was on deck, busy giving out orders for a new course. "Ah, Lord Vader," the Grand Moff acknowledged as he approached, "We are now tracking the rebel ship that escaped earlier and have traced them to the Yavin system. They are most likely hiding on one of the moons of Yavin Prime. Scouts have been sent there to confirm."

"Good." Vader said simply, stopping to stand next to Tarkin, his arms crossed as he observed the working men. He was pleased that the beacon had been attached properly to the rebel ship, but he'd still have liked it better if the Princess had not escaped his grip. Tarkin looked away, as though he knew Vader was in a bad mood. As much as Tarkin disliked Vader, he wasn't fool enough to cross him when he was so obviously already annoyed. Vader could sense the Moff's apprehension, and it eased his own tension for some reason. After a moment, he said; "We have captured a rebel."

Tarkin sighed. "I was told. I should guess you have already interrogated him then. What did you find out?"

Hesitating, Vader changed his position, leaning slightly to the left in order to look at the Moff. He let several of his hissing breaths pass before answering, lying with practised ease. "Nothing of value for now. In all evidence, he is of no real importance to the rebellion."

"He doesn't know anything about the stolen plans?"

"No. He was merely on a mission to rescue the Princess."

"A mission that succeeded, I hardly need to remind you." Tarkin was now surveying him very harshly from the corner of his eye, as if the rebel ship's escape had been entirely Vader's fault. But Tarkin had authority over Vader on the Death Star, to a certain extent, which made any mistake his responsibility. The Emperor had not stated this explicitly, but Tarkin was not stupid – he knew his neck was on the line already.

"Be that as it may, their escape allowed us to track down their base," Vader deflected. "But this is not what I came to say." This statement finally acquired Tarkin's undivided attention. "The rebel I have captured is of a certain value to me. I will deal with him personally."

"He is to be kept alive?"

After a small moment of hesitation, Vader nodded; "Yes." Let Tarkin think whatever he wants.

"You understand of course that I will report this to the Emperor." Tarkin said immediately, his tone of voice vaguely suspicious.

"This is none of your business," Vader snapped. "I will notify Emperor Palpatine. You would be wise to stay out of this, Tarkin. The Emperor is my master, I shall report to him."

"He may be your _master_ , but he is also my direct supervisor for the duration of my post here on the Death Star. Why are you telling me this? How can I be sure I can trust you?" Tarkin was speaking rather boldly now and Vader had to resist the urge to growl. He was proving to be just as bothersome as he'd anticipated.

But Vader had the upper hand on at least one level; "You can trust in this, Tarkin," he rumbled, "I am of much greater worth to the Emperor. In consequence, I have every power to terminate you." Tarkin's eyes widened minutely at this, although the rest of his face remained impassive and nearly as cold as the Sith's own mask. Vader went on; "I have said this before, but I shall repeat myself – anything you do is insignificant next to the power of the Force. But I know that is something you shall never be able to grasp."

Tarkin nodded almost imperceptibly, but coming from him it was almost like an outright pledge of submission. Knowing this was the best he would get out of this situation, Vader turned to leave. Only once he was nearly at the door of the bridge did Tarkin speak again.

"I still want a report regarding this." He shot out firmly. Vader paused but didn't turn, uttered a single, deep, "Certainly" and walked out, his cape whispering at his heels.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

As he neared his quarters, Vader felt his son's presence quite clearly. The boy would have to be taught to conceal his Force signature; it shone through like a beacon, almost tantalizing, practically teasing him, as if he were daring the dark side to try and turn him. Vader had to suppress a chuckle at this. The boy would be turned, of course; it was his destiny, as clear as day.

He entered his room, and the dim lights turned on as they were programmed to do. Vader lost no time and moved to one of the many hyperbaric meditation chambers he owned which allowed him to remove his helmet and breathe clean, concentrated air for a while. This one wasn't the best of course, his favourite was in his quarters on Coruscant, but it would have to do. He really needed to calm down before facing Luke again.

And the filter in his respirator had to be changed soon anyway. Vader's damaged lungs needed so much care that it often became a very time-consuming hassle, but in the face of certain death...

So he climbed into the chamber and as it closed, the pressurized, super medicated air flow began. His mask was removed from his face, and the helmet was lifted off, allowing his skin to feel fresh air. Every time he sat in here, which was an almost daily occurrence, he felt as though he'd forgotten the feeling and was experiencing it for the first time again. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, letting the heavy atmosphere of the chamber lull him into that deep meditative state he so needed.

He sometimes wondered whether Palpatine had made his armour this way in order to restrict him. During the first years he'd worn it, he'd often succumbed to a terrible feeling of claustrophobia, needing to take the helmet off sometimes twice a day. His busy schedule and military duties didn't allow for this anymore, but he was getting more and more used to it at least. He should be - it was nearing two decades now.

Two decades... In fact, it had been eighteen years since the fateful day on Mustafar, which meant Luke was most certainly eighteen years old.

There were so many things he wanted to say to his son, but most of them implied there would be uncomfortable moments and revealing of painful memories Vader was not yet ready to share. He doubted he'd ever be ready to share again, even with his newly discovered son.

But perhaps _some_ memories could be shared. It would not do to appear weak and nostalgic in front of his master... However, it might help Luke accept the harsh fact that his father was Darth Vader.

He was at least aware that it was hard for the boy to understand. Vader knew how most people viewed him in utmost fear, as a symbol of death, proof of the Empire's absolute power. He was not ashamed of it. Quite the contrary, other beings' fear gave him strength and focus.

However, he could not let the boy become too comfortable in his presence. Vader liked his apprentices to retain a certain amount of uneasiness around him. Of course, none of his previous apprentices had been related to him that he knew of, and it was fair to assume that it would complicate things at first. But Vader would do what he must. The boy _would_ submit to him.

Finally managing to clear his head, Vader relaxed, even as tense muscles he could not rub pained him, legs that weren't even flesh somehow throbbed from the task of maintaining his heavy body in an upright position, and a headache was pounding at the back of his brain. His eyes burned under his closed eyelids, sore from looking out of slightly red-tinted lenses all day, so he relaxed the muscles of his face, letting his mouth fall slightly open and his head drop back.

He could hear the mechanical arms of the chamber replacing the filter inside his mask and the one in the compartment on his chest, but the sounds were familiar, even comforting. The first few hours with new filters were always enjoyable after several hours of discomfort caused by debris caught somewhere in his respiratory system.

Concept of time was lost to him as he sat there, just breathing, his mind blissfully blank, but eventually he knew he had to get out. On Coruscant he could basically stay in his chamber as long as he wanted to, but he had to remember that he was presently on the _Death Star_ and that he wanted to speak with Luke before reaching the rebel base on Yavin's moon.

That didn't leave him much time. Reluctantly, he entered the commands on a control panel for the mask to be replaced upon his face, the helmet reattached, and the chamber opened up. Vader took his first breath into the new filter and sighed, feeling at least somewhat rejuvenated by this short hyperbaric session.

And now, to face his son again. This time, he was prepared. **  
**.****

**.**

**.**

**.**  
The boy had been dropped off in a small room near Vader's own private quarters. It was slightly larger than the cell he'd previously been in, and furnished with all the basics. At least the boy had a bed now.

Indeed, when Vader entered, without bothering to knock, Luke was lying on his back and staring at the ceiling, his limbs splayed out in all directions. Just as Vader came in, the boy jumped into an upright sitting position and edged away so that his back was to the wall. Vader stood near the foot of the bed and surveyed the boy for several long moments, the sound of his respirator breaking the silence every few seconds. His long shadow was cast upon the floor and bed in front of him, stopping just short of his son's feet.

Finally, it was Luke who spoke first. "So what now...?" Vader knew the boy had nearly called him 'father' just then, but had been unable to form the word. That was... Interesting.

"It is as I told you before. I shall take you to Coruscant. There you will begin your training under my supervision." Vader watched as Luke's face hardened. His clear blue eyes looked to the side dismissively.

"I don’t want you to train me." He said simply.

At once, Vader took a step closer so his shadow engulfed Luke's form completely. "You _will_ become my apprentice. You have no idea of the extent of your power... We could rule the galaxy, together." Vader's words sounded so powerful as he said them, but Luke's expression became more and more strained.

"Never!" He shouted up at Vader, probably louder than he'd intended. Vader was slightly surprised and, dare he think it, proud of his son's defiance. Clearly, the boy had had time enough to think this whole thing over and was now less afraid than angry.

"You cannot choose to walk away from this, Luke. It is your destiny."

The boy stared at him in silence. His blue eyes caught in the light and shone bright against the shadow upon his face. Then, he spoke slowly and confidently; "You're not my father. And I'll never join you."

Vader huffed, the sound coming out as sort of a growl through his respirator. "I grow tired of your insolence. But in time, you will submit to me... If you have nothing else to say then, I shall leave. We are approaching the Yavin system, which is, I believe, where your little friends are currently hiding?"

His taunt did not go unnoticed - he saw the anger flash in his son's eyes - but then the boy seemed to relax against the wall a little. "As a matter of fact I do have something to say." He began, looking anywhere but at Vader. "You didn't answer me before. Tell me about my mother."

Once again, Vader ignored him. He was tempted to give him something, even just her name, but it dawned on him that this information could be used to force Luke into obedience. If the boy bowed to him, he'd be rewarded.

"We shall speak about that later." Vader told him instead, before reaching for his belt. The boy flinched slightly as he drew a lightsaber, but then realised it was the one he'd previously owned. His wide eyes turned back to Vader's face quizzically. The dark Lord held the weapon at arm's length, towards Luke.

"If you'll only admit that I am your father, I will trust you with this again. I have no use for it, and I... can't look at it anymore." Vader told Luke, a little awkwardly.

Luke's face was stoic, his jaw clenched and his eyes rested upon the saber. Vader knew he wanted it back desperately, he could sense it, but to admit Vader was his father was still very painful to him. Long seconds slipped past, and just as Vader began to get impatient, starting to think that Luke was never going to say it, the boy closed his eyes firmly and sat up. His face betrayed underlying emotions: he knew it was the truth, somewhere inside him, but to say it out loud... Luke was too attached to his pride.

"Say it." Vader hissed, moving the lightsaber even closer.

And he did. "I would like my lightsaber back..." Luke said, defeated, "Father."

Vader smiled behind his mask, but did not surrender the weapon yet. It wasn't quite enough. He saw the boy's eyes open wide in apprehension. "Look at me and say I am your father." Vader rumbled.

Without hesitating this time, Luke met his gaze, or rather the obsidian sockets of his mask, and said it. "You are my father." There was such finality in his tone of voice, as if the whole universe would come to an end right at that moment. Vader threw the saber softly upon the bed near the boy's feet and Luke grasped it in his hand immediately, relief washing over him, palpable through the Force.

"Good." He said, feeling victorious. "That's a good start. Have your weapon back, but know that escaping from here again is impossible. Using the lightsaber to try and do so will only result in more of your liberties being taken away. Do I make myself clear?"

The boy's gaze met his once again, though this time it was unreadable. "Perfectly." He answered. In a swish of black cloth, Vader turned on his heel and left the room.  
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Luke turned the saber in his hand, hardly daring to believe it was real. As the door of his room closed swiftly and was locked behind Vader, his whole body relaxed again. He was no longer afraid that the Sith would kill him, but from a certain point of view, this whole affair was even worse. Luke had no desire whatsoever to be trained by Darth Vader, and forget travelling to Coruscant.

While Coruscant had once been called the bright center of the Universe, it was now the middle of the Empire. The Emperor's stronghold. His fortress.

Vader hadn't said a thing about the Emperor up to now... Some people back on Tatooine even doubted that an Emperor existed. Whoever he was, he never appeared on the Holonet, or in news broadcasts. His underlings and subordinates, such as Vader himself, always seemed to be the ones in the heart of the action. Besides, Vader was the one everyone feared. Luke had memories of watching the Holonet sometimes as a young boy. Uncle Owen had never allowed it, but Luke had always managed to steal glances somehow, in secret. He remembered watching images of Darth Vader commanding troops, Empire propaganda tapes, Imperial army recruitment videos... How he'd hated it all. The Empire didn't really affect planets such as Tatooine as much as others, but Luke knew of the injustices being carried out elsewhere.

Always, somewhere deep inside of himself, he'd known that he would get involved in the struggle against the Empire one day. He had dreams of fighting in space battles, becoming a great pilot and warrior, like his father... Oh, how wrong and ironic those dreams seemed now.

Despite having been forced to say it aloud, he still could not come to terms with it. Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the galaxy, the Emperor's right-hand man, was his father. His _father_. And Luke, a simple farm boy from Tatooine was now prisoner on board the Death Star, soon to be on his way to Coruscant. He knew once they reached the Universe's central planet, there would be no escape possible. Here on this battle station Vader had other things to deal with, but on Coruscant, Luke was quite sure he wouldn't often be let out of his sight.

If one thing was clear, it was that Vader was not joking around with this whole situation. Well, if Luke was going to just sit here and wait for that Sith to return, he might as well just kill himself now and be done with it, because he'd never submit to Vader. Ever.

Still, he pondered the meaning of Vader's actions. Why return the lightsaber to him? Hadn't Luke's previous actions today proven that he would stop at nothing to try and escape? That, and to save his friends. With a jolt, he realized what was about to happen.

The Death Star had already destroyed Alderaan. Destroying one of the moons of lowly, uninhabitable Yavin would surely not be a problem for the Empire if it allowed them to crush the rebellion once and for all. That did it for Luke - he was going to escape from this wretched place, or die trying. He'd rather die than serve Vader anyway. The fact that he'd had to acknowledge that monster as his father still made him feel sick to his stomach...

Having finally reached a decision, Luke stood up from the bed and ignited the lightsaber. He'd almost expected it to be deactivated somehow - he wouldn't put it past Vader to humiliate him as he'd done for nothing at all in return - but the blue laser blade appeared noisily as it always did. It was unknown to Luke whether his blade could slice through the metal of his door, but he had to try…

' _Have your weapon back, but know that escaping from here again is impossible.'_

Luke gulped, tried a few swift strikes at the door with the saber and found that it cut through the material quite easily. After slicing at the door for a few minutes he decided to try something else, this time stabbing the door with the tip of his blade. To his surprise and relief, the pale blue beam sank through with no real difficulty and the material around it began to melt away.

Heart beating wildly, Luke drew out a circular shape in the door, taking his time in melting it away, until he was faced with a hole large enough for him to squeeze through. He felt the edges of the hole burn against his clothes and sizzle his exposed arms and his hair, but he didn't care. He was free!

Well, not quite. He still had to escape the whole kriffing _Death Star_ , but just escaping his tiny room felt like such a relief already. Luke felt invulnerable. He was no longer in his room and, as far as he could tell, no alarm had been sounded. Even if he stumbled upon enemies soon, he'd still have the element of surprise in his favour.

Stealthily, he began to walk down the small corridor he was in. This area was much colder than it had been in his room. In fact, he soon realized the air was being pumped out from somewhere... Which meant there had to be a circulation vent of some sort close to him. Now that his mind was focused on it, he could really feel the gush of cold air. After stopping for a few seconds to identify its direction, he turned to follow it, keeping his lightsaber at the ready. The corridors on this level were short and had many turns; he feared he would run into someone sooner or later.

Luckily, he didn't. If he understood correctly, this level was for the private quarters of many of the higher-ups of the _Death Star_. Circulation in these halls was surely restricted. Very soon, Luke reached an air vent very much like the garbage shoot through which he'd escaped earlier with Han, Leia and Chewie... He felt a pang at the thought of them and the fact that they'd flow off without him. But he knew the plans Artoo contained were very important and they couldn't afford to jeopardize everything to save him. Besides, Luke felt sure he would see them again.

Luke lost no time in melting the gate to the air vent and, with some difficulty, managed to climb in. Now though, he had no idea where to go. A voice sounded in his head; ' _Use the Force, Luke.'_ He knew it to be Ben’s voice. Even though he couldn't understand how it was possible, he felt sure the old Jedi was still guiding him. Angry as he may be at Obi-Wan for lying to him about his father, but he wasn't arrogant enough not to take the advice.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the life-energy he felt moving around the Death Star. To his great surprise, he could see a relatively clear image of everything at close proximity of himself; almost like mental plans of countless levels below him and several above. Also visible to him were the presences of people walking about the station. Troopers, guards, generals, admirals, even... Vader. As soon as Luke felt the man's presence he pulled away, afraid that this would have alerted him to his escape attempt. After several nerve-racking moments in which he half-expected troops to come running down the corridor looking for him, or even Vader's hand reaching up inside the vent, grabbing at his ankle to pull him out, Luke slid back into the Force and tried again.

This time he concentrated only on the environment. It took him several minutes but he finally came to the conclusion that, only four levels below, there was a small hangar full of TIE fighters. If he hurried, he may be able to slip in there and steal a ship. Taking a deep breath and opening his eyes, Luke started to crawl.

It was a long and physically demanding journey downwards, through vents nearly too small for him to slide through, air shafts that were practically vertical, and several scary moments where he actually had to crawl in front of open panels. If anybody had happened to look upwards in those moments, he could have been sighted easily. But eventually, and after much effort, he reached the hangar. Dropping down to the floor, he quickly ran to the nearest corner and hid behind some crates, clutching at his chest to ease his breathing and looking around for signs of stormtroopers.

There were none. But the thought suddenly struck him: TIE fighters weren't equipped with hyperdrive. Even if he managed to leave the hangar safely, he would never reach Yavin IV. He'd die from lack of air or from the cold of space first. So two options presented themselves to him; Fly out into space, revealing himself in the process, and probably dying, or waiting for the _Death Star_ to reach Yavin, taking the risk that Vader would find out he was missing and send people to look for him. Neither of these were ideal, but Luke preferred to live a little longer for now.

His best hope was to find a TIE pilot suit, and try to blend in with the others.

Luke took a deep breath, ran out towards a TIE ship and peered inside. There was a suit and some armour already inside. He sighed in relief and put it on quickly over his own clothes. It was a little large for him, but hopefully not suspiciously so. As soon as he was done, he found a small door to the side of the hangar and escaped through it, hoping to run into some other TIE pilots soon, and also not to cross paths with Vader. He'd managed to stay under the radar up to now, but in a direct confrontation, Luke wasn't sure he'd be able to hide his presence.

It was a here-goes-nothing situation as Luke walked out into the main area which was, thankfully, full of pilots and stormtroopers. Nobody looked at him twice.

This just might work.

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	2. Chapter 2

The hum of the _Millennium Falcon_ under his feet always helped Han Solo feel more at ease, but the same could not be said for Princess Leia. She was currently pacing behind Han, fretting and quite aware of the man's growing annoyance, but too on edge to care. Even though Han had reassured her a hundred times already, she couldn't help but feel bad for leaving Luke behind.

"Look, I've known the Kid a little longer than you have alright? He won't stand to be captured."

"But last we saw him, he was all riled up to duel Vader! Don't you understand? That monster won't have pity on him!"

"Then how are _you_ still alive, Princess?"

"I was too valuable to the Empire, so they didn't kill me yet. But you could bet your junk heap of a ship Luke won't get the same treatment."

Han had nothing to answer to that, so he just gave up after that, annoyed by the comment on the _Falcon_. Chewbacca, Threepio and Artoo all seemed really down on morale, too, so Leia sat down with them to sulk. C-3PO immediately struck up a conversation, not realizing that it may be better to remain silent. "I'm sure Master Luke will be alright. He's awfully good at getting out of tight spots, you know…"

"This is hardly what you’d call a 'tight spot'…" Leia answered bitterly. The golden droid fell silent after that and no one made a sound again until they reached Yavin IV.

Leia was deep in thought the entire way though. She couldn't get Luke's broad, honest smile and shining determined eyes out of her head. It was as though she'd really met someone special, like she immediately knew they were to become friends, and now he was surely dead. The fact that she'd probably never see him again seemed so cruel that she nearly felt like crying. She had no idea why, but she had a feeling that Luke was important. She hardly knew him, but there was no doubt in her mind that if he was with them right now she'd feel a whole lot more confident.

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On Yavin IV, things weren't looking any better. The plans Artoo was carrying proved their worth, but the premise of victory against the Death Star seemed, quite frankly, impossible. Pilots were required to manoeuvre a slim, dangerous trench until they reached an exhaust port hole barely two meters wide which, when hit precisely, would blow up the entire station. They had to give it a try, and most of the people here were quite prepared to die for the cause, but it surely felt hopeless…

There was a moment of sullen silence in the hangar bay when a someone announced that the Death Star had just entered the system and would be in range in thirty minutes. Leia closed her eyes and thought briefly of Luke Skywalker, still daring to wonder if he was still alive. Then all at once everyone returned to their occupations, with people running around in every direction, preparing ships and droids for take-off.

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Luke followed the rest of the TIE pilots into a hangar much larger than the one he'd been in previously, listening to some of the conversations. Apparently, the _Death Star_ was going to fire on Yavin IV as soon as it was in range, which gave them nearly half an hour. Feeling like his heart had dropped into his stomach, Luke mimicked the other pilots and got into a TIE ship. The controls seemed easy enough to understand, not unlike what he'd already learned piloting old ships on Tatooine. Piloting always seemed to come so naturally to him.

Luke followed the others out of the hangar and, through the roaring and screech of all the ships, a feeling of elation erupting inside of him. He couldn't help it: it felt so good to be flying again, even if he was about to participate in a deadly dog-fight in deep space.

He just hoped none of the rebel ships would shoot him down before he could do something to help. For a few moments, Luke simply flew about and analyzed the rebel X-Wings' trajectories. It seemed like they were all going in the same general direction; aiming for the same little trench. They were being bombarded from every direction, TIE fighters and turrets on the surface of the Death Star shooting relentlessly at them. In barely a few minutes, a quarter of the rebel ships were down and Luke decided to step in en force.

He skimmed the trench, eyeing one of the TIEs, which was gaining on an X-Wing. Without hesitating, Luke aimed his lasers at the round-shaped imperial starship. In no time at all it was destroyed, and the rebel pilot was free to manoeuvre the trench further. In the confusion of the fight, nobody really seemed to notice what he'd done, so Luke moved on to some other TIE pilots, who were ganging up on an X-wing.

Swiftly, all three of them were destroyed too and the X-Wing fled the scene, moving to join some of his comrades. During some of the confusion, Luke saw several other X-Wings being destroyed when three more TIEs left the Death Star. Among them was one with a strangely elongated and elegant shape, its wings smaller and closer to its body. It was a TIE Advanced, obviously custom built.

A shiver ran up his spine. _Vader_.

He hoped against hope that the Sith wouldn't sense his presence. If he was swift and remained out of sight, he might be able to escape his notice. Turning back to the rebels with a skillfully executed loop-the-loop, Luke realized what they were all trying to do when one of the X-Wings attempted a shot at a small hole at the end of the trench. Nothing happened. Fumbling with the dials on his comlink, Luke managed to catch the frequency the X-Wings were on.

' _Did it go in?'_

' _Negative… It didn't go in.'_

The two voices both sounded disappointed, and Luke understood that this was crucial. He didn't know how much time they had left, but it couldn't be long. He bit his lip, and turned the TIE sharply, descending into the trench himself. He swooped around, avoiding shots from other TIEs, which seemed to have finally realized he wasn't doing any good for their side of the war. Voices continued to sound through his comlink, but he had no way of contacting them.

' _Did everybody just see that?'_ Said a pilot.

Another voice, probably from the base, asked; _'See what? What's happening?'_ Luke's eyes widened. That voice sounded like the Princess!

' _One of the TIE fighters… It attacked some of its own and is now heading for the target.'_

The line went silent. Just as well; Luke needed to concentrate. Without a precise targeting system, he stood little to no hope of making the shot. On cue, Ben’s voice reverberated through his mind… _'Luke. Use the Force.'_ Letting his facial features relax, Luke felt the Force flow from him. He suddenly knew where everything was. He knew that he could make the shot. In fact, the prospect seemed almost _easy_.

Not caring that Vader would surely feel his presence now, he let the Force take over and aimed a shot.

He knew it had gone in before even hearing the shouts of glee on the comlink. He sped away with the X-Wings and, as soon as they were at a relatively safe distance, the Death Star exploded in a fiery detonation that seemed to shake space around it.

The amount of debris was staggering, and many TIE ships had been pulled into the vortex. Luke grit his teeth under the shock wave that rattled his own ship and made for the greyish green surface of Yavin's moon.

The X-wings had reached the base on Yavin IV first, and had landed in a messy jumble. Luke made his approach outside the doors of the base, landing it sloppily in front of the temple-like building. TIE fighters weren't made to land on flat surfaces; they were usually kept on racks. It was damaged probably beyond repair by the landing, but Luke really couldn't care less. He was quite sure he wouldn't have wanted to keep it anyway. As he exited the now upside down cockpit and removed his helmet, he was met with an onslaught of people running towards him, all shouting their approval.

Next thing he knew, he was being lifted into the air by the rebels, and carried to the base. Luke allowed himself a grin. He was free, and the Death Star was destroyed. And his friends – he would see them again! All thoughts of Vader were banished from his mind as he was dropped to the ground. When he got up and turned, it was to see all the rebels clapping and grinning and laughing wildly. He then saw a flurry of white clothes and suddenly he was being hugged by Leia Organa. She was laughing into his ear and he could feel wet tears falling down onto his neck.

He laughed with her, hugging her tighter than he'd ever hugged anybody, and swung her around. "Oh Leia, Leia… I'm so happy to see you!"

"Luke!" She said, practically sobbing now. Leaning back, but still holding his arm, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "How did you do it?"

He gave her a smile, but shook his head. "I'll tell you later." She nodded, and suddenly there was a new distraction. Another ship had just landed in the hangar: the _Millennium Falcon_. Everyone turned to watch as Han climbed down the ramp, Chewbacca close on his heel. Luke immediately ran up to him, but Leia stayed behind with her arms crossed.

"Hey, Kid." The smuggler greeted with a small smile. "I… Don't know what to say."

"Neither do I," Luke replied, confused. "Where were you?"

Han looked at the ground, and it was Leia who answered. "He ran out on us as soon as he got his _precious_ money."

"Well… I came back didn't I? I was the one distracting Vader while you made that shot." Han shot back. At this, Chewbacca hit him in the arm. "Okay, I'll admit, it took a bit of convincing from Chewie here. Furball wouldn't let me live it down." He gave a cheeky grin and the Princess slumped, unimpressed. Luke shrugged. "You came back, Han. That's all that matters to me." Without hesitating, he grabbed the smuggler's hand and dragged him over to Leia, whom he led along by the arm.

"Come on. Boy do I have a story to tell you…"

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Vader stared out the cockpit of his TIE Advanced blankly. The Death Star was destroyed and, along with it, his son. His only child was… dead. Luke had been his only hope. Vaguely aware of something akin to grief building up in his damaged heart, he typed in co-ordinates for the nearest Star Destroyer he could locate, nearly pitying the people who would have to deal with his fury when he got onboard.

And oh how this next thought hit him like a sharp blow on the head: what would the Emperor do to him? The Death Star blows up and Vader is the only survivor? At least that meant Tarkin was out of the equation, but the apparent convenience of this would not pass the Emperor by. The old man wouldn't even be pleased that his prized Sith lord had survived, no… Because the Death Star had been a priceless super weapon station nearly two decades in the making, and no excuse would be good enough.

However, maybe this incident was the will of the Force.

Nothing stood in his way now. The loss of his son served to fuel his anger and fed the dark side. Vader was livid, even emptier inside than before, and Palpatine would know it. Of course, the Emperor didn't need to know about his son… This new-found power could be attributed to a greater desire to prove his worth. And Vader would.

All in the course of a single day, Vader had been given a son and had lost him to war. It was so unfair; he wanted to crush a hundred people's heads in as an attempt to redeem his loss to the universe. But he shouldn't. Somewhere inside, something told him he deserved it. Maybe he did. He had, after all, killed more than anyone's share of children. Entire families even, and so without remorse. So many lives had been destroyed in his wake over the years and his conscience wasn't even a little uneasy about it. Vader closed his eyes and felt the familiar enticing pull of the dark side. It shook the atmosphere around him and churned inside his very soul, easing away feelings Vader did not want to feel but releasing something even more powerful. Each time he used his dark powers to meditate like this it chained him further still to obscurity, made him more its servant. And darkness was a harsh master. It demanded full, unconditional devotion in return for unlimited power.

Wasn't that what Vader had always wanted? He'd thought so, but now he wasn't so sure. The appearance of Luke had filled a void he had not even realized existed, but now that the boy was gone… All that was left was a cold emptiness like Vader had never experience before. Perhaps when he'd been told he was responsible for killing Padmé, but even then, he thought, it wasn't like this.

His connection with his son could have grown to a Force bond more powerful than anyone had ever been able to master, had Luke lived. And there were so many things he'd wanted to ask, when the time came. Who named him Luke? When did he fly a ship for the first time? What did he do growing up on Tatooine? … Turning the boy would have been a welcome challenge, more entertaining than anything Vader had done in years. But all this was gone, lost to him forever. He finally let grief take a hold of him, knowing that bottling it up would only make it worse later. He was alone right now anyway, with nobody around to hurt. A feral growl of pure anguish and hatred finally burst from him and he lowered his head to his knees in the very small cockpit of his TIE Advanced.

He was ready to face anything by the time he reached the _ISD Tyrant_ , all his weak feelings finally locked up deep inside him where they belonged. Gathering himself together while his ship landed, he couldn't help but feel his arrival would be less than appreciated by the admiral in charge of this Destroyer. This knowledge only served to fuel up Vader's anger levels. Whoever was in charge here was about to have a very bad time.

Ignoring the troops that had been (obviously hastily) assembled to greet his ship, Vader extracted himself from his TIE and marched down the ramp of the landing racks. Guards saluted him as he passed, and Vader didn't bother to suppress his smirk. Nobody could see it anyway. He itched to strangle a few of those who dared to stare at his masked face – clearly new recruits who had no common sense whatsoever – but it would be unnecessary…

Vader stood motionless in the middle of the hangar for a few seconds, marvelling at these people's foolishness. Darth Vader should never be kept waiting. Eventually, a man dressed in formal captain's wear rushed through the door, straightened hastily when he saw Vader and stopped a few short steps away from him, clicking his heels with an air of carefully practised professionalism. Vader had never cared for military protocol, but this man obviously knew what he was doing.

'What took you so long, Captain?" Vader snapped, a little louder than was necessary, and strode forward, invading the man's personal space.

The man twitched perceptively, probably anticipating some form of punishment, but when none came he replied, wisely choosing to avoid the question. "Lord Vader." He acknowledged. "I am Captain Xamuel Lennox. We are truly grateful to see you alive and to greet you upon the _Tyrant_. We heard about the Death Star and we feared…" The Captain paused, afraid he may be speaking too boldly. Vader considered him for a moment, but didn't reprimand the captain.

"I wish to contact the _Executor_ ," Vader said instead. "I must return to Coruscant at once."

"We could arrange to bring you to Imperial Center, if you wish." Lennox said at once, then quickly added; "My Lord."

It would definitely be shorter than to wait for the _SSD Executor_ to come around. "Very well then," Vader agreed. "I require quarters to rest in until we reach the planet."

Lennox definitely hesitated there, but when he spoke after clearing his throat his voice betrayed no complaints. "You may use mine, My Lord. They are the best on board and I hope you will find them to your ease." When Vader did not answer, the captain dared to take a step back to free himself from Vader's intimidating closeness. Without really thinking about it, the Sith released a wave of anger at this sudden show of apprehensiveness and ordered the Force to tighten slightly around the man's neck.

At once, Lennox let out a choked breath, his eyes wide. "It would be unwise to anger me further, Captain." Vader threatened, before casually releasing the man, who stumbled a little and let out a small, pained, "Of course, My Lord." Then he straightened and motioned for Vader to follow to his chambers.

Already dreading his impending meeting with his master, Vader marched forward with renewed determination, the pain from before forgotten for the time being.

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Luke chose a small room with only a desk and four chairs in it, making sure it was empty before stepping inside. Behind him Leia and Han were still ignoring each other, but he hoped that wouldn't last long. Sitting at the table, Luke finally allowed himself to breathe deeply. The rebels' reaction to his earlier feat had been overwhelming and, to be honest, Luke felt he'd had enough overwhelming in the past two days to last him several weeks. He was still struggling with Vader's revelation, but couldn't hide from himself; he knew it must be true, or more specifically, he _felt_ it.

And still, he couldn't help but feel angry at Ben for keeping this from him. The old Jedi had explicitly told him that Vader had _betrayed and murdered_ his father. It seemed unlikely that he had been unaware of the real truth. Luke’s thoughts turned to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Had they known too? He'd always been discouraged from asking questions about his heritage, but he'd attributed that to his uncle's disapproval of his father's career choices… What if the people who had raised him had _known_ the truth? How could they have raised him knowing what he was, what he could eventually become?

Had this fear plagued Owen and Beru Lars as it plagued Luke now? If it had, Luke felt only deeper gratitude towards those people for raising him, even though he wished they could have told him the truth. But they had been poor farmers, and Luke, despite the vague link of parentage, had represented another mouth to feed. He knew they had loved him regardless of this and of his heritage and for that, he was truly thankful.

Realizing that Leia and Han were still watching him, he raised his head from where it had been cradled in his hands, and met their eyes. "You might want to sit down." He said softly and they did so.

"You don't have to tell us what happened on the Death Star if you don't feel up to it Luke. We understand." Leia told him hastily, watching his expression closely. Her cheeks still bore the marks of freshly shed tears, which only served to make her look even more concerned and serious. "I… I've met Vader a few times. I know what he's capable of." Her voice, usually soft but with a confident undercurrent of authority, was now dark and Luke knew she was remembering whatever it was Vader did to her in the past.

"It's okay Leia," Luke assured her. "That's actually the reason why I need to talk to you guys…"

He saw that their faces were confused and very attentive now, but he paused to think it over. What would they say when he told them? He feared this moment nearly as much as Darth Vader himself, but he knew he had to tell someone. Keeping something like this to himself would only do him harm. It was too immense not to share with at least these two people. Maybe it was absurd that he trusted them so, but their experience on the Death Star had been so intense. It was one of those situations where you really couldn't help but become friends with the ones who'd lived it with you. After a moment of tearing himself apart with these thoughts, his decision was practically made for him.

"What I'm about to tell you has to stay between us. I need to know I can trust you."

"You know you can." Han said, a little offended by Luke's apparent distrust.

Luke offered him a small smile. "I already know I can, But I need to hear it."

Leia didn't hesitate; "You can trust me Luke." Han nodded next to her.

"I was ready to duel with Vader, but he ordered some troops to take me. When I was captured, I thought for sure they were going to kill me. I'm not royalty like you Leia; they had no reason to keep me alive after they felt they got all they could out of me. I was determined not to tell them anything, but I was still scared. Vader actually came to interrogate me himself. You know my lightsaber?" He stopped and they both nodded, "Well, he confiscated it. He was furious that I had it and asked me where I got it. I know I shouldn't have said anything, but…"

"What did you say?" Han asked. Luke hung his head.

"Ben – Obi-Wan gave it to me back on Tatooine. He said it had belonged to my father, who wanted me to have it when I was old enough."

Leia frowned. "Your father had a lightsaber? He was…"

"– a Jedi, yeah." Luke said. "That's what Ben told me. I always thought Anakin Skywalker was only a pilot, but it turns out he was a great Jedi."

"Now that you say it…" Leia began, staring into space, "I was sure I'd heard the name Skywalker somewhere before. My father knew him. I think he said Anakin Skywalker died in the purges, right after the Clone Wars ended." She shot him an apologetic look, which didn't entirely help the pain he felt at hearing Leia speak his father's name, completely unawares…

"That's right." He nodded, "But when I met Ben, he said that Darth Vader betrayed and killed my father. So that's what I told Vader. He didn't like that."

Han spoke again, this time a little more softly; "What did he do?"

"He didn't _do_ anything." Luke said, bracing himself, "He told me the truth. Darth Vader used to be Anakin Skywalker, my father."

Even though he'd been anticipating them, the gasps from Leia and Han still startled him. Their eyes were wide as they exchanged significant looks. "You're… you're kidding?" Han asked, though his tone of voice betrayed him. He knew this was serious.

Luke shook his head anyway, closing his eyes. "He is my father. I didn't believe him at first, I didn't _want_ to believe it, but it's… it's true." He opened his eyes again and noticed that Leia's mouth was slightly agape. Han had sort of a defeated air to him. "What's more, he said he wanted to take me to Coruscant. That he wanted to train me."

Leia's hand went to her mouth – she clearly realized the implications of this much more so than Han did. "How ever did you escape him?" She gasped.

"For some reason, he returned my lightsaber to me. I think maybe he thought if he showed he trusted me a little, I'd trust him back. Well, he doesn't know me. He warned me that escaping would be impossible, and probably thought I wouldn't figure out that lightsabers can melt metal doors. I escaped into an air vent and went to the hangars where I disguised myself as a TIE pilot. I waited there until we reached Yavin, and went into battle with the other TIEs. And the rest is, well…"

"History." Han completed, making Luke's face warm up. "This’ll be a date long remembered, Kid. And we'd all be dead if you hadn't escaped Vader. It's a double victory for you, really." He grinned, slapping Luke on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Han." Luke grinned back, feeling more than a little abashed by all this. He hadn't really given it a thought up until now, but so many people had died when the _Death Star_ exploded. There was no way to know yet just how large an impact this would have on the galaxy, the Empire and the Rebellion, but it was safe to assume that it would mark a turning point in history. Luke certainly hoped so. He hoped all those people hadn't died in vain. Letting a moment of silence pass, he closed his eyes and let shine through the Force his regret for the deaths of innocents he may have caused. He suddenly wondered what would happen to Vader now; he knew the Sith had not been onboard during the explosion because he had seen the specifically designed TIE Advanced leaving the hangar moments before.

Then he remembered what this meant – had Vader felt him when he'd used the Force to make that hit on the _Death Star_ , or did he think Luke was dead? If Han had been distracting him with the _Falcon_ during the battle… It all really depended on whether Vader had discovered Luke's escape beforehand or not. Surely the dark Lord would have attempted to communicate with him if he had. Alarms would have sounded in the deathly station, alerting all guards to his escape. No, he felt sure that Vader thought he had died, and that it had been his fault for capturing him.

Awkwardly, he wondered what his father had felt upon realizing that his only child was dead. Had the Sith felt something even remotely similar to sadness, or loss? Could a Sith even feel emotions other than hatred and anger? Luke was quite certain he had felt some kind of emotion coming from Vader when he had learned he was his son. And what was it he had said about the lightsaber?

' _I cannot look at it anymore…'_

That had to betray some kind of emotion, right? It implied that the saber was a painful memory, reminding Vader of the man he'd once been.

Snapping back to the present, Luke leaned forwards upon the table, staring at his friends. "But all this _must_ remain secret. If people ask, Vader asked me a few questions about the rebellion, which I refused to answer, roughed me up a bit and had me scheduled to be executed. I managed to hide my lightsaber from the imperials and used it to escape like I told you I did."

Only one part of his made-up story seemed to register with Han, who grinned. "You're the only person I've ever heard refer to Vader torturing someone as 'being roughed up a bit'."

"Well he did," Luke snapped back impatiently. "He did kick me in the stomach. Come to think of it, it still really hurts. Maybe I should have it looked at."

"Never mind that." Leia said, finally finding it in her to speak up. "Luke… Are you alright? He's your father! That's huge!"

Luke carefully weighed his words before answering here. "We won't let it concern us for now. Vader thinks I'm dead right now anyway." They didn't ask how he knew, but he saw something twitch in their faces. "I know he'll find out I'm alive eventually, hell, he may already know if my name starts getting spread around. But when he does find out, you can bet he'll do everything in his power to find me. And I'll be ready for him. I'll be able to stand up to him better… I hope."

The finality in his words seemed to soothe Leia's worry, and she nodded. "We'll always be there to back you up." She told him proudly. "Now let's go get your stomach looked at in the medic bay and then we'll get something to eat. I expect everyone's going to be all over you in a bit."

That definitely drew a smile from Luke and he grinned. "Let's go, then."

The three of them left the room arm in arm, ready to enjoy an evening of celebration and peace before the next battle began against the Empire. This was all just the commencement of something bigger really. Something Luke was quite prepared to fight for.

**.**

**.**

 


	3. Chapter 3

It had been over two years since the destruction of the Death Star. As many had predicted, it represented a turning point for the Rebellion against the Empire but now, even after all the new recruits, new funding for weapons, ships and equipment, things were still looking bleak. The Empire was still going strong and, since the historic event, no longer had any mercy for the Alliance. Arguably, there had been no mercy to begin with, but it was worse by the day.

But nothing was worse for morale than the looming presence of the newly christened Death Squadron. This was a truly frightening regiment, composed of Star Destroyers, Super Star Destroyers and led by the immense Imperial-class Dreadnought _SSD Executor_. The battlement had been formed little over a year ago in a new attempt to squeeze the Alliance into tight corners and out of hiding. It was harder for rebels to find any good planets to settle on these days as a Star Destroyer and fleets of TIE fighters were present in countless star systems.

The _Executor_ had already been Darth Vader's flagship, but now that it managed the entire Death Squadron, the Sith Lord had been named Supreme Commander of the Empire. He had been given the Squadron and the prestigious title, as it was rumoured, by the Emperor himself. The fact that Vader had new powers over the Galaxy served its purpose well. In any sector you looked, people were wary. Rare were those who truly supported the Empire, but few were brave enough to say so out loud. Distrust and contempt were commonplace in cities and on planets that had otherwise been peaceful.

Even as it acquired more sympathy, the Alliance also seemed to receive the cold shoulder from star systems much too afraid to outwardly support them.

So here they were on Hoth, literally a deserted ice ball of a planet on which no edible food could be found, and the only creatures that crossed your path were either much too useful or too big and dangerous to kill. Rations were low, and they were running out of places to hide.

Luke was currently lying in a warm, comfortable bed and was feeling strangely relaxed despite the current situation. He’d been out in the cold too long and was ordered to rest by a medic. It had been three days now and he was itching to get back out there.

Not to mention that this gave him time to dwell on another new development; Ben Kenobi had appeared before him, just last week. While at first Luke had been ecstatic at the sight of his old master, he'd then been unimpressed by the man's words. _'Luke,'_ he'd said, _'you will go to the Dagobah system. There you will find Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me.'_ Ben had then disappeared without another word.

This frustrated Luke to no end. If Obi-Wan was able to communicate with him like this than why hadn't he done so before? Or at least, why did he have to be so cryptic about it? Many times in the past, Luke could hear his master's voice through the Force, reminding him of which path he should take, how best to make use of the Force… But he'd always thought maybe he was imagining things, or that his memory of the master was merely present inside of him, guiding him. Luke had tried many times, but to no avail, to contact Ben.

He had so many questions. Why hadn't Obi-Wan told him about Vader? What should Luke do about it when the time came for them to meet again? The older Jedi always ignored him.

And who was this Yoda person anyway? If Luke was to train with them, why hadn't they come to find him themself? It seemed unlikely that another old, exiled Jedi Master was alive somewhere. As if Luke was going to rush at the request of a ghost to an unknown planet to train with an old Jedi, leaving his friends and the rebellion behind…

On the other hand, Luke was bursting with a desire to learn more about the Force. He knew it was crucial if he wanted to face Vader again. Luke had been severely inexperienced last time and he was determined not to let it happen again. Vader was still, he assumed, unaware of his continued existence. And the belief that Luke had died on the Death Star had obviously made him even more ruthless and dangerous than before. There was an urban myth spreading throughout the Imperial military that had reached the Alliance's intelligence; Darth Vader held a zero tolerance policy on failure. For high ranked Imperials, the penalty for even the slightest mistake was death at the hands of the Supreme Commander. The now deceased Imperial's subordinate would then immediately replace him.

Alliance pilots liked to joke that Darth Vader was a boss you did _not_ want to get a promotion from. Luke always blanched when this was mentioned and, if she was around, Leia would subtly squeeze his hand in her own.

He was grateful for hers and Han's concern, but thinking about this only made it worse. The three of them hadn't really breached the subject again after he'd told them the story of his escape that day on Yavin IV, but it hung over their heads still. Both his friends had respected their vow of secrecy though, to the extent of Luke's knowledge, and for that he was grateful.

That didn’t mean they always got along though. He turned his head to the side again to look at his friends. They were in the middle of another argument. He’s missed most of it due to his pondering Ben’s words, but obviously Han had just said something wrong.

Leia snarled. “Don’t you have anything better to do, _lazer-brain?_ "

Han crossed his arms. "Hey, Luke’s my friend too. Y’know… the way you two are always glued at the hip, I’d wager there’s _somethin’ else_ goin’ on between you two. Eh?” He actually _winked_ at Luke, and behind him Chewie made the wookiee equivalent of a groan.

Luke couldn’t help looking at Leia, and she briefly met his gaze too. She pinked slightly, but it was hopefully too faint for Han to take note of it. Unbeknownst to the corellian, he and Leia had in fact kissed a little before. It had been a short kiss, born of a momentary lapse involving a drink too many on Luke’s part, and an empty storage locker. He didn’t feel anything other than deep trust and friendship for Leia, but they had both been a little tipsy, Luke had just been back from a very successful run with Rogue Squadron, and it _had_ been a very good kiss.

A small smile tugged at Leia's lips then; "Hm. You may be right about that, Captain Solo." She snapped at him before storming out, leaving a slightly awkward silence hanging in her wake.

Han swore something under his breath and smirked at him. "She always has to have the last word." He said wearily before leaving the room also, closely followed by Chewbacca. It was futile to try and reason with the Princess when she was like this, Luke knew, but Han wasn't one to back down easily. Luke hoped they'd realize they were made for each other sometime soon, but a hope was only that in the end; a hope. He'd learned that the hard way.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Only the cold unyielding darkness of space greeted Vader as he glanced out the large panoramic pane of transparisteel on the observation deck in the command tower of the _Executor_. They were parked in deep space currently, waiting for leads. He hardly left this ship these days, preferring to overlook missions rather than to walk upon the surface of planets he didn't care for, watching people he hated for the simple crime of being alive and happy, die. During the first months following his son's death, Vader had actually been very involved in the missions Palpatine sent him on, terrorizing and torturing people himself, a task he now left to his most trusted ranks of commanders.

Not that he really trusted anyone. Vader simply chose only the best to serve on his flagship, and he was not known for his praise and generosity. Consequently, everyone onboard was here for a reason, and had been carefully selected. That didn't mean he liked any of them or that their lives had any meaning for him – they were just the right tools for the task. Even if they did have a habit of committing unforgivable blunders… Vader was quick to punish them when they did, hoping their deaths would serve as reminders for the others.

Vader thought of his master, far away on Coruscant right now, no doubt sitting in that beloved throne room of his, lazing around as all his servants did his bidding. This was a caricature of course; the Emperor had much to attend to and hardly had any time to relax, if the Sith even did such just that. Running a Galactic Empire was no easy feat. But Vader couldn't help but note all the things he thought were wrong with the system, and think about ways he would do them better… He never contradicted his master or let these thoughts shine through in front of him, of course, but those were his thoughts nonetheless.

After the destruction of the Death Star, Vader had journeyed back to Coruscant to face his master. Palpatine had been angrier than he'd seen him in a long time…

**.**

**.**

' _Where have you been?' The elderly Sith rasped, rising from his throne._

_Vader hung his head in a hasty bow; he'd not even entered the room fully and already he was being reprimanded. 'I came as fast as possible, Master.'_

' _Not fast enough, Lord Vader. Why did you not contact me when I asked you to? It was well before the battle at Yavin and as you know, I despise being kept waiting.'_

_Vader kept his body crouched to the ground in submission as he answered. 'I had many things to attend to Master and I assure you I did everything in my power to –'_

' _Silence.' The Emperor commanded lazily, and the whole room seemed to ring with his voice as many seconds passed. 'You may rise now." Vader did so and finally he met his master's sulphurous gaze. His eyes were the only things besides his mouth that didn't look dead on his face. Thin lips were spread against yellow teeth in a contemptuous smirk. 'So it's true then?'_

_Vader did not need to ask what he meant, and he answered at once; 'Yes, Master, it has happened. The rebels have destroyed the Death Star.' As he said this, he felt his master's anger lash out at him and it made his limbs shift closer together. Palpatine's anger was already legendary, but this was unprecedented. When the Sith did not speak, Vader continued. 'It appears that Governor Tarkin did not foresee the risks; he didn't consider small one-man snub ships to be any threat, but he was wrong. The rebels found a weak spot.'_

' _DO NOT try to push the blame over to anybody else, Vader.' Palpatine hissed. The Emperor only forgot the prefix_ Lord _when he was very angry at him. 'Tarkin and the others are dead so there is no sense in trying to direct my anger at them, as I know you are trying to do. You are avoiding the most important issue: how did you survive the attack when so many others did not?'_

' _During the explosion, I was in my TIE, Master, tending to the problem.' He tried to sound casual, but he rather thought some of his discomfort shone through. His voice usually sounded emotionless to the untrained ear, but Palpatine could read him easily most of the time._

' _You are weak and foolish, Vader,' The Emperor chastised. 'Time and again you present meaningless excuses for your mistakes. Have you not learnt that your attitude and your presence in the Force speak much louder than words? Never forget your commitment. You are mine.' As soon as those last words were spoken, Vader felt the usual pang of hate. The feeling of belonging to Palpatine had taken its wear shortly after Mustafar… But, as always, Vader only let Palpatine feel his obedience, his implicit, unyielding loyalty._

_Right now his master was smiling, or rather attempting a poor effort at a smile. Vader could not remember a single instance when he'd ever seen his master smile a true smile. That draconic mouth seemed to be designed only to smirk, snarl or sneer at him. 'I am grateful that you are alive, Lord Vader.' The Emperor finally stated, sounding truly dishonest. Vader also noted the return to his title of_ Lord _. Perhaps the reprimanding would soon be over. 'Have you anything else to report?'_

_Vader felt a twist in his gut, and his thoughts leaped to his dead son. All this happened behind Vader's carefully constructed mind barriers, which were thankfully outside of Palpatine's reach. He felt a momentary stab of grief and betrayal as he remembered his master's lie:_ 'It seems in your anger… you… killed her.'

_Looking deeply into his master's amber eyes, he answered normally, 'There is nothing else, Master.'_

_The Emperor considered him a moment and Vader felt himself tense a little at the shoulders, but the elder Sith seemed to decide that nothing was out of the ordinary. 'I am appointing you Supreme Commander of the Empire, Lord Vader.' The Sith Master paused a moment to watch his servant's reaction, but there was none. 'Do not disappoint me.'_

_Vader bowed very low and thanked his master before leaving._

**.**

**.**

This had been the last time Vader had been to Coruscant. To everyone else, this apparent promotion might appear prestigious. But Vader knew better; all these were precautions to ensure that Vader stayed away from the capital until the Rebellion was dealt with. It was a warning: Vader was not to return to his master until the Rebellion was no more.

Vader was content with this arrangement for now, harbouring no particular wish to return to his master's fortress. All these _precautions_ allowed him comforts he had not had in space before, such as permanent, very grand personal quarters upon the _Executor_ , and the power to do as he wished whenever he wished. He had to admit that felt good.

Suddenly, someone approached Vader from behind and he turned swiftly, before the man even had time to speak. "State your business."

He recognized the man as Kaolin, one of the supervisors of Vader's two-year project: finding the name of the person responsible for the destruction of the _Death Star_. The man had witnessed Vader's rage countless times, as this project frustrated him to no end, and was quite afraid of him. For him to come directly to him so unannounced could only mean one thing, that his spies had found something. Kaolin straightened his pose and saluted before speaking, as he should. "My Lord, we have a name."

Murderous thrill ran through Vader's body as the words he so wanted to hear were spoken. Without preamble, he extended his hand and impatiently motioned at Kaolin, who lost no time in handing him the file. The Sith's large gloved fingers fumbled with the file – even before his accident he'd never been one for paperwork – but finally pried it open. He read the first paragraph loosely; it merely described the situation of the current undercover spy's mission. Boring. Trivial. Greedily, Vader turned several pages and finally his eyes fell upon the name he had worked so hard to obtain. Promptly, his blood froze and his whole stance slackened.

' _Luke Skywalker.'_

Vader read the whole little paragraph just to make sure: _'In conclusion, after much infiltration and months of gaining the trust of certain rebels, I have obtained the name of the pilot responsible for the destruction of the_ _Death Star_ _. His name is Luke Skywalker. Home planet: Tatooine. No known relatives.'_

His mind blank, Vader glanced back up at Kaolin. "Have you read the file?" He asked. Kaolin shifted hesitantly but shook his head. Vader then gave his orders; "Go back to the spy and have him brought to me, then proceed to destroy all existing copies of this file, physical, digital or otherwise. Inform no one. I shall know if it has not been done. Afterwards, return to me." If Kaolin found these instructions strange he did not show it, but bowed and left the bridge swiftly.

Only once he was gone did Vader allow himself to feel anything but numb shock. His son was alive! Once again, he barely dared to believe it – only his interrogation of the spy would prove him wrong or right – but he certainly wanted to believe it. This meant Luke had escaped the _Death Star_ without anybody's knowledge. Even if this was surprising, as well as a total act of defiance, Vader felt pride towards his son. He knew he shouldn't, but this was too strong to control. The pure… joy… he experienced at the thought of his son was alarming. He had not felt joy in a very long time, and never this intensely. But his son was amazing. And Luke would be his; it was only a matter of time now.

He felt quite sure the spy would not have informed anyone else of this discovery. His spies were professionals who took great pride in their work and their secrets. This one would be no different.

Just as he was thinking about it, two guards arrived, flanking the spy at his shoulders. Everybody present on the bridge was watching them silently, trying to be subtle. The spy was a young fair-haired man. _Pity he has to be terminated_ , Vader thought idly, _but I really do have too many spies in my collection anyway._

"Lord Vader, it is such an honour to speak to you personally." The spy said, once the guards had walked away. His voice was deep and calm and reassuring.

"I wished to congratulate you on your good work." Vader saw a smile grace the spy's lips, which only made his next words more fun to say. "You have served me well. However… I must now conform to a part of our contract that was undoubtedly not stated to you beforehand." The man's face became a little pale, but he stood his ground.

"And what is that, My Lord?" He didn't even sound apprehensive, and Vader silently congratulated him further for it.

"Unfortunately, I can never allow the information you have found to… leak. You'll not be going on any more missions, young spy." Vader spoke calmly, though the brass tone of his voice inspired all but calmness in the spy's features.

In an attempt to redeem himself, he assured him; "I never speak of my previous missions to any of my clients, My Lord. What information has been found shall never be released to anyone, I promise you."

"Believe me, young spy, I wish I did not have to do this. But I cannot take any risks."

The spy squared his shoulders sharply and uttered a final bold comment, in a desperate effort to convince Vader. "If you are to dispose of me, then perhaps I will speak the information out loud in front of everybody present."

"Such insolence," Vader replied, though his tone of voice was amused. "If you do so, I shall have no choice but to kill everybody on this observation deck." He felt a tremor pass through the room as everybody turned away to concentrate on their work once more. Clearly, nobody thought Vader incapable of this.

"No!" The spy cried out softly, "Please, if… Have mercy, Lord Vader. I shall never again take on another mission. I will serve you unconditionally from now on, please reconsider!"

Vader took a step, falling into place directly into the man's personal space, and spoke in a low, dangerous voice. "I am bored of you now, young spy. Once again, thank you for your information." Several instants later, the spy's limp, dead body fell to the ground and emitted a final gurgle of strangled breath before being completely still. Vader turned away and some guards hurried to take the body out of his sight.

Vader blankly looked over to the crowd of officers working at a screen, not seeing them really, just thinking of his son. Luke had escaped the _Death Star_ somehow… He must have used the lightsaber, Vader realized with a twinge of shame. Why hadn't he even considered that a possibility? Perhaps because he'd felt the boy's defeat, seen his injuries and tiredness. He'd underestimated his own son.

Once again it seemed, Vader had offered the galaxy to somebody who did not want it. He'd thought the boy would _want_ to be with his father.

But apparently the boy was stronger than that.

The Dark Lord closed his eyes and let the weight of his helmet tilt backwards. He could feel the Force swirling around him, inside him, between him and everything around… He reached forwards into emptiness and attempted to locate his son's signature. Even though Vader had only felt it a few times, it was forever engraved into his soul and he could never forget it. It was simply a part of him just the same as his own signature was. It _belonged_ to him.

He realized what this meant; now Vader could have everything he wanted if he had Luke. This was his ultimate need. In his old life, and even until now, he'd always wanted more. More approval from Jedi Masters he felt did not appreciate him. More love from a woman he thought did not share his feelings. More power to defeat those he hated. More… more… more…

' _I'm not the Jedi I should be. I want more and I know I shouldn't…'_ Vader was startled when he heard his own, younger voice sound through his head as a memory long forgotten returned to him… _Padmé was folding some clothes, listening to Anakin talking about his worries. She'd told him she'd be fine, that everything would be fine… Their baby was a blessing…_

The memory dissipated and Vader hung his head, knowing that finding his son would be impossible right now if he let these thoughts crowd his mind. He'd have to visit his hyperbaric chamber soon to clear them. And his son was too far away, the obscurity he felt when he reached out into the living Force was proof of that. It was almost as if his son was still dead to him. But soon, they would be reunited.

A word caught Vader's attention and his head snapped back to the group of people still working at a screen. He caught snippets of their whispered conversation before deciding to walk over to them.

"– makes you think the _rebels_ are there?"

"– could be an abandoned settlement, or merely smugglers –"

"– would not trouble Lord Vader with this if I were you –"

Vader's deep voice interrupted them and they all jumped; "What have you found, Admiral?" To his surprise, his own voice still had a hint of sadness beneath it. He quickly brushed it away. Admiral Ozzel braced himself.

"It's nothing, My Lord. We have a few leads, but nothing definite."

Vader turned to the man next to Ozzel meaningfully, sensing that he had something to say. The man spoke up at once; "We think the rebels are here." It was such a bold comment, that Vader couldn't help but glance at the screen. A small, somewhat lazy settlement on Hoth was in the process of being scanned. Luke seemed too far away, but if he had a location to work with, then perhaps…? Vader concentrated on it and let his presence reach out, travel far, all the way to Hoth. An incredibly familiar aura greeted him, warm and pure. It was as if a voice had suddenly turned his way and replied, _'Yes?'_ Vader knew it to be Luke, instantly.

"The rebels are there, Commander." He acknowledged.

Beside him Ozzel shifted. "My Lord," he began, blinking, "there are so many uncharted settlements, it could be smugglers and –"

_And you shall not live long_ , Vader thought in his mind before interrupting, not even sparing him a glance. Firmus Piett, the man who'd so boldly pointed out the location of the rebels – of his son – was the only one who deserved his attention right now. He would be rewarded. "That is the system. Set our course for the Hoth system." He then turned abruptly to face a general, who recoiled at his close proximity.

"Commander, ready your fleet and battlements." He didn't wait for any of the men to answer, as his orders were non-negotiable, and made his way down to his personal quarters, ready for a good long session of meditation before reaching Hoth. Knowing his son, he had a feeling he was going to need it.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

 


	4. Chapter 4

Luke was worried.

Scratch that; he was terrified.

He'd been pulling his clothes on and gathering up his things to leave on an expedition to see what all those suspicious meteorite crashes were about, when he'd heard something like a voice inside his head. It hadn't really said anything though, more like whispers. But a deep humming, rumbling sound had filled his ears and something… _heavy_ had touched his mind, feeling around for a few moments. On impulse, he'd shot an interrogation at the Force, a small confirmation that he was there.

A second later he'd gasped, recognizing the presence. Vader had just breached his mind, and had found him. Vader knew he was alive, and the Empire knew where they were. A shiver ran up and down his spine and through his limbs. He could almost hear the steady, mechanical breath of Vader, see his imposing bulk.

But it was, or should be, impossible! The Alliance had worked very hard to keep his name a secret, for which he was grateful. All traces of what had happened during that fateful moment at the battle of Yavin were supposed to have been erased. Nobody was supposed to talk about it. Somehow, Vader had learnt the truth and they were no longer safe.

Luke immediately rushed from his room, a cold sweat erupting all over his body. All else was forgotten as he ran to the Commanders' quarters in search of Leia, of somebody he knew would believe him. He ran past people who shouted greetings at him, even passed Wedge and ignored him.

"Hey! Luke! I was just looking for you, I –" The other pilot shouted out gleefully. His face then fell when Luke spared him but a fleeting, terrified glance.

At last, he bumped into Leia, who had been strolling down a deserted corridor apparently deep in thought. "Luke!" She acknowledged pleasantly, before frowning. "Weren't you supposed to leave with Han…?"

"They're already gone?" Luke asked, horror-struck.

Leia's expression wandered a little, thoughtfully. "I think so… What's up?"

Luke swore in Huttese. "The Empire – _Vader_ – they know where we are. He found me Leia, don't ask me how, but he found me, I felt it, and they'll be here in a matter of hours. We have to evacuate."

"You're sure?"

"You don't believe me?"

"Sure I do, just… the others might not. What will you tell them? Most people don't even believe in the Force…"

"There's no time! I'll tell them anything; that it's a gut feeling, instinct – whatever you wanna call it – now _come on!_ " He pulled at her arm and they ran together to the control room.

As anticipated, nobody really believed him. At first, they merely reprimanded him, concerned, and dismissed his exclamations to focus on the group that had gone to look for the fallen meteorites. Luke gave up trying to make them believe him and instead remained still, in a corner, waiting to see what Han and the others had found out. In a way, he was a little glad he hadn't gone with them; if he'd felt the warning of Vader's presence while out on Hoth, he would've panicked even more. One of the worst things you could do in sub-zero temperatures was freak out.

Leia kept shooting him significant, wide-eyed glances. She hadn't said anything during the brief conversation between Luke and the others, but he knew it was because she had a reputation to keep up, much more so than him. Not that she didn't believe him of course, but she'd rather be sure…

Out of nowhere, Han's voice sounded from a comlink, informing them that what they’d thought to be meteorites were in fact probe droids.

Rieekan shot a wary glance at Luke, transmitted his order for Han's group to return to Echo Base right away to begin evacuation, and sighed.

"It's a good bet the Empire knows we're here." He said as he turned away from Luke, who scoffed.

He was about to say how he'd _warned_ them, but Leia put a soothing hand on his shoulder.

They stayed to supervise the preliminary evacuation procedures, and then Leia laced her arm around his and led him away back through the long corridors all the way to his room. They were silent all the while, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Leia's eyes were wide and fearful again as they stopped inside Luke's room and she released her hold on the fabric of his tunic.

"There's no use getting mad at them Luke…" She began, sounding hesitant. After several seconds, she pulled him into a hug. "What're you going to do?" She asked him softly.

Luke held her a little awkwardly, but enjoyed it all the same. He'd missed the feeling of hugging a family member, and that's what this hug felt like to him right now. "I'm going to join the Rogues in the fight while you guys evacuate. V – _he_ will have less chance of capturing me if I'm in the air than down here. Don't worry about me… It's me who should be worried about you, really. I wish you could be on that first transport out…" He pulled her away slightly in order to look into her eyes. She was smiling despite the harshness of the situation. "But you've got _'a lotta' spirit'_ , that's what Han always says."

She glanced away at the mention of Han's name. "Oh boy … Don't get me started on Han…"

"I won't," he promised. "Cuz if you start I know you'll never shut up." Leia slapped his cheek softly, playfully, and they were still holding each other, their eyes locked and Leia's hand raised to his cheek when the door slid open and Han came bursting in without preamble.

"Hey, Kid, you'll never guess –" The Corellian stopped in his tracks, his face frozen in stunned disbelief. Luke immediately jumped back away from Leia and held his arms out, but the damage was done.

"Okay," Han said in a small voice that really didn't suit him, "Sorry to disturb you two, we're just in the process of evacuating this whole place cuz the Empire's after our asses… But y'know…" He was eyeing the pair of them as though unsure whether or not he should be feeling betrayed.

"Han, It's not… what you think." Luke said softly, making Han snort. Leia was staring resolutely at the wall behind the smuggler, like he was invisible.

"You'd better get to your X-Wing soon, Luke. And I have orders to escort _her Worshipfulness_ to her ship, too." He began to leave and Leia followed him automatically, but Luke wasn't done.

"Han, wait! Just… Good luck." He shot his old friend a tentative smile and the smuggler seemed to relax a little, though his eyebrows were still knitted together.

"You too, Luke. I – take care of yourself." Han answered his usual reply, a little coldly, but still. Luke caught Leia's eye before they both disappeared behind the door and was happy to see hard determination there.

As soon as he was alone, Luke bent down to retrieve some clothes he'd left there and threw them unceremoniously into a backpack. He finished clearing up his room as best as he could, taking only the essentials in his bag, turned to look at the back of the room and nearly jumped out of his skin.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was standing right behind him. His form was semi-transparent, blue-tinted and a little hazy at the edges, but it was unmistakably him. Still clutching at his chest, hoping his heart wouldn't stop from the shock, Luke gasped; "Ben! What… Stop doing that! Can't you… announce your presence or something, err, next time?" His old master smiled at him and took a few steps around the room.

"I can't often appear before you like this Luke and I don't have much time, so you must listen…"

"No, _you_ listen. Look, I really appreciate everything you did and what you're trying to do, protecting me… But you lied to me." Luke told the old Jedi, perhaps a little too harshly. "Why did you lie to me, Ben?" The Jedi surveyed him sadly.

"It was only to protect you from the truth. We feared you might be too young to find out yet."

"Who's 'we'?"

"Master Yoda and I are the ones who decided to send you to Tatooine after the incidents that made you an orphan." Ben explained calmly. His words had the opposite effect on Luke however, who shook his head wildly.

"But that's just it, isn't it? I'm not an orphan."

"Luke…" Ben sighed, sounding incredibly sad. "You must understand that Darth Vader is no longer Anakin Skywalker. For all intents and purposes, he is not the same person. So what I told you about your father when we met on Tatooine was true, from a certain point of view."

"Perhaps," Luke admitted, "but he is still physically the same man. You shouldn't have kept something so huge from me."

Obi-Wan surveyed him through soft, nearly translucid blue eyes; "An old Jedi's mistake, Luke. We only did what we believed to be best for you."

Luke sat down on his bed and stared at his hands. "And when did you intend to tell me who my father really was? Right after I committed patricide for you?"

"It's not like that."

"Well, it seems that way to me." Luke said brutally, standing back up. "Now I have to go pilot a ship, so excuse me…"

Obi-Wan seemed a little angry now. "You must do what you feel is right, as always. But please Luke! Consider it. Please go to Dagobah. You'll find more than an old Jedi Master there. You'll find a part of yourself, of your power, crucial to defeating Vader."

Staring straight through at his old master, Luke rubbed his aching limbs. "Maybe I will if I'm still alive later today I’ll consider it, OK? Just tell me what this Yoda looks like."

Ben smiled, but shook his head. "I wouldn’t know how to begin describing him. But you'll know when you see him. Goodbye Luke, may the Force be with you."

"And also with you, Master." Luke replied, but wasn't sure if Ben's disappearing ghost had heard him. He shrugged and rushed to the hangars when the alarm was sounded. The Empire was finally here, and Vader with them.

**.**

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Ozzel was dead and Piett had just been named Admiral. Vader was in a foul mood already; Ozzel was an incompetent fool for coming out of lightspeed so quickly, thinking that approach would be best… But when an officer came along to inform him several rebel transports were already away, the Sith couldn't control his temper anymore. The man sank to the floor with a few gurgled gasps, went limp and guards rushed forward to drag him away as Vader continued to march down the corridor. People jumped out of his way as he passed, his bulk easily filling some of the narrowest hallways.

He contacted the troops that had already descended on the world to see if he could land now. It seemed the rebel base was not going to stand for very long, so it was time to dispatch the specialized snowtroopers, who would dispose of any survivors. That was the usual procedure at least, but today Vader had made it very clear that he wanted all prisoners to be alive and heavily restrained. That was also why he was going down there personally.

When his shuttle landed, he saw that everything in sight was smoking slowly. Rebel survivors were being lined up; Luke was not among them. Vader closed his eyes and concentrated. His son was on Hoth, but where? The boy's presence was alluring, teasing him by always staying just out of his reach. Growling low in his throat, Vader gave the necessary order, and all the rebel soldiers were shot down. He had no use for them; interrogating them would serve no real purpose except for quenching his bloodlust. Besides, Vader had plenty of incompetent generals at his disposal for whenever he got too angry…

A little ways further, Vader could see the beginnings of the deep trenches the rebels had dug into the snow, the remains of a hangar and some slowly burning ships. Wires and air shafts hung loosely from the walls and ceilings. It was truly a makeshift base. Visible at the pale blue, virtually cloudless horizon, the AT-ATs were in the midst of their attack. Small explosions were discernible from even this distance.

Suddenly the Sith Lord knew where his son must be. If Luke was a pilot at heart like Vader was, he was over there at the core of the action. This complicated things slightly; if Luke was in an X-Wing, it would be much harder to catch him. Vader regretted having come down here and immediately boarded his shuttle again, hoping to intercept his son at the barrier above Hoth's atmosphere. He could see the progress of the battle as he flew back up to his Star Destroyer. The rebels clearly were no match for the AT-ATs.

Back on board the _Executor_ , Vader set foot on the bridge, watching his officers with a critical eye. Piett immediately came up, wondering if there were any new orders; he'd clearly not been expecting him back on the ship so soon and had been enjoying being first in command.

"Ready the tractor beam," Vader told him before he even had a chance to salute. "Capture every X-Wing you can."

"My Lord, their speed makes it nearly impossible to lock them in…" Piett told him quietly, with a frightened look in his eye. He obviously didn't want to make any mistakes and would rather take the safe route.

"Do it." Vader said gravely and Piett went straight as a rod.

"A – at once, My Lord." He stumbled a little on his words and left to supervise the attempts. Vader stared back out of the vast window, observing some of the ships that were leaving. He could sense Luke near so he must still be on the planet in the struggle against the AT-ATs. Most of the important ships had already left and only a few X-Wings remained. There was now a stronger presence of Imperial Troops on Hoth's surface than Luke's rebel friends.

Speaking of friends… A particularly large ship by rebel standards was now leaving the atmosphere, trying to outmanoeuvre some TIEs. Vader recognized it instantly – how could he forget the ship that had caused the plans of the _Death Star_ to find their way back into rebel hands? The _Millennium Falcon_ was not carrying any important cargo this time, Vader thought, but Luke's friends must be on board. Friends Luke would undoubtedly risk his life to save. Vader watched the _Falcon_ zoom around the _Executor_ again until it plunged down, before making his decision. The _Millennium Falcon_ must be captured. Only then could Luke be lured out.

"Piett!" Vader barked, turning on his heel with a swish of his cloak. The startled Admiral took several steps back towards him.

"Yes, Lord Vader? We are trying to lock in on the last X-Wing stragglers…"

"New orders, Admiral: capture the _Millennium Falcon_. Use any means necessary. It does not appear to be preparing a hyperspace jump, but we should assume it could do so at any moment. Do not fail me." Admiral Piett gave a bow, apparently happier about these orders than the previously impossible task of tractor beaming X-Wings onto a Star Destroyer.

Vader watched him giving out his orders for a moment, before retreating to his quarters. He would be informed when the _Falcon_ was captured, so there was no sense in staying on the bridge. If he stayed only to breathe down his officers' necks –figuratively of course – it would be counter-productive. Fear was not always the surest method of obtaining what he wanted. It often was, but for now he decided to let them work in peace. He was still much too distracted by his son's sudden reappearance to concentrate on the current situation anyway. All he knew was that capturing Luke in his snub ship in the middle of a battle was impossible.

Using his friends as bait was another story.

He meditated with his pod still open, not wanting to be too cut off from the task at hand, and that's when he felt it. Luke's presence had just disappeared, snatched away into hyperspace. Vader couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment, but he must be patient. Soon they would have the _Millennium Falcon_ with her passengers as hostages, and his son would come rushing to save them. If he was anything like Anakin had been, which was a pretty good guess considering past events, Luke would not hesitate to come to their rescue. Skywalkers would rather die than let their friends suffer because of them, that much he knew by experience.

Forcing down some more painful memories for the umpteenth time today, he opened his eyes behind his mask to stare at the white wall of his hyperbaric chamber again, waiting.

**.**

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A short while later, a voice sounded on his comm. It was Captain Needa; "Lord Vader, I am on the bridge with a report."

Vader sighed. Nobody _ever_ summoned Vader anywhere except for the Emperor, so all the captain could do was hint that his presence was required. Vader could sense only apprehension from Needa as he entered the bridge. The captain was standing as far away from the door as possible, looking into space. At the Sith's approach, he nervously stepped forward and saluted with haste.

"My Lord, we have lost them. We do not believe they went into hyperspace, but they no longer appear on our comscans." Needa held his breath, daring to meet Vader's mask's dark eye sockets. Vader barely managed to hold a low growl, and Needa continued to speak, effectively digging himself deeper into the depths of inexcusability; "I present my apologies to you personally, Lord."

Vader smirked, though nobody could see, and gripped the man's throat through the Force. He could see Needa's expression go from worry to panic as he tried to draw breath, in vain. Seconds later his now limp body dropped to the floor and his eyes stared into nothingness as Vader stepped around him.

"Apology accepted, Captain Needa…" Vader said, allowing himself to be ironic for a moment and mocking the dead man's final words. He turned his back on the body and barely registered some officers dragging it away as Admiral Piett approached. This man meant business, Vader realized. Piett had effectively numbed down the Sith's anger by sending Needa to him first before choosing to meet with him: a very wise and daring move indeed.

Right now Piett was standing in front of him smartly, holding a datapad. "We are doing all we can to locate them, milord."

"I told you to use any method necessary, Admiral. I am not seeing any results. With all the power at your disposal, surely you are capable of more." Vader reprimanded slowly, meaningfully. This caused Piett to frown.

"Forgive me Lord Vader, but we are not… _bounty hunters_ … I assure you we are doing our best…"

Vader stopped listening to him at this point. Only two words seemed to have registered in his mind; _bounty hunters_. Why hadn't he thought of that? Piett's dislike of them was apparent, but Vader had no problem associating with those kinds of villains. In fact, they would probably do a much better undercover job than any Imperial forces he could put to the job. In short, it was the best solution for this current problem. Vader raised a hand to stop Piett's mumbling; the Admiral was still going on about his aversion for bounty hunters and had not noticed Vader was no longer paying attention to him. It was hard to notice though, what with the mask, Vader reflected.

"I have yet some new orders, Admiral. Set a substantial reward for the capture of the _Millennium Falcon_ , and gather up on the bridge the best-known bounty hunters available. I will meet with them to explain the details of this situation when they arrive."

Piett froze, his mouth still slightly agape, but regained his composure and saluted. "At once, Lord Vader." His teeth were grit together as he walked off to do as ordered.

If they lost that ship, Vader felt quite sure his anger would truly reach exceptional levels. Too much had already happened today. He'd only just learned that his son was not dead and already he was losing him again. Well, the boy would not evade him forever… but patience was not one of Vader's qualities.

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Dagobah could only be described as a sad, swampy little hole of a planet, in Luke's opinion.

He’d been here barely a week already. After making sure all the other X-Wings had gotten away safely, he’d relayed a message to Han and Leia before blasting away. But since the connection on this planet was near existent, he had no way of telling if they had answered him. After landing, he at last met Master Yoda, though it took him several minutes to realize it was actually him. Yoda was rather fond of testing him it seemed.

But he had to admit the trip was worth it so far. Luke was already making so much progress. The Force no longer felt like something detached from his body. He was beginning to understand what Yoda meant when he spoke of everything as living things and how the 'living Force' affected them. He had greater intuition and reflexes thanks to better concentration.

Yoda explained that Dagobah was rich with the living Force and devoid of any technological distractions, which made contact easier, but Luke felt proud of himself all the same. The Force had always been there somewhere inside him, only waiting to be found and understood. Now that he was closer to this, he could finally start to understand this potential that Obi-Wan, Yoda and even Vader seemed to see in him. That was where the problems began.

As soon as Luke's thoughts strayed to Vader, he was filled with an energy he could not understand. This one was cold and seemed to pierce his very soul, unlike what he had experienced from the Force so far, which melted unto him in perfect harmony. Whenever these emotions started to come over Luke, Master Yoda would order him to clear his mind and relax his body. It always helped at first, but the unease regarding the cold feeling remained.

They hadn't discussed this much until they got on the subject of the light side and the dark side of the Force.

"Ben told me Vader was… seduced by the dark side." Luke said thoughtfully. "What does that mean?"

Yoda was silent a moment before answering. "Many have fallen to the dark side of the Force. None can return. A solitary path it is, dominated by strong emotions. Anger, fear, aggression… the dark side are they. Caution you must exercise, or consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice."

"My father…"

"No longer your father he is." Yoda said, uncharacteristically abrupt.

Luke chose to ignore this comment. Vader may no longer be Anakin Skywalker inside, but the man had acknowledged him as his son. That had to mean something. If Luke was to believe what Obi-Wan had told him, Vader should have disposed of him at once when he learned his identity. Instead, the dark Lord had chosen to train him. To train him for evil perhaps, but he still saw something of value in Luke, that much was clear. This brought another question to light; "Is the dark side stronger?"

"No," replied Yoda sharply.

Luke bit his lip, worried. He was always uneasy whenever dark feelings invaded his mind. "But how am I to know the good side from the bad?"

"You will know... when you are calm, at peace, passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack."

"But we must fight the Sith anyway, right?"

"There is no 'must', when it comes to fighting. You may choose, or not, to face Vader. But an informed decision this should be. Know only that the galaxy's fate rests with you."

"Then I _am_ to face my father!" Luke said, annoyed now. "Just tell me why –"

"No, no! Only you can decide." Yoda replied, sounding equally annoyed.

Luke nodded in silence. It was very hard for him to let his mind go blank when so much was happening around them right now. But he had to remind himself that the Empire would never find him here and that the Alliance was safe, far away somewhere. He could not be sure of this fact, but he hoped that his intuition was correct.

**.**

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It was noon, and lunch time passed in complete silence. His master had been trying to teach him how to stay in complete silence hours at a time for weeks now, with little success. The exercise did have its merits though, Luke thought as he ate Yoda’s plain soup.

After lunch, Luke cleaned their dishes and Yoda led him out near the pond where his ship had sunken into when he'd arrived here. That was yet another embarrassing memory; Yoda had had to retrieve the ship himself after Luke had impatiently told him that it was impossible. The ship was now standing a little ways away thanks to Yoda himself, still covered in grime though. Hopefully that would wash off with a good hose-job…

As per their previous lesson that morning, Yoda instructed Luke to clear his mind, connect with Force as best he could, and stand on his hands with his eyes closed. Luke did so and, as he did every day, tried as best he could to clear his mind of all thought.

He reached around him and lifted some rocks into thin air, piling some of them on top of each other. Further away, he heard Artoo emit a series of confused beeps, and he realised he was lifting the astromech as well. Not intentionally, but that was good, he supposed. The weight of Artoo added to the stones, but they didn't distract him as much as they usually did. He let his mind wander by itself now, without real conscious thought and surprisingly, images started to form in his mind. They were hazy at first, but he allowed himself to examine them closely.

Far away, Yoda was speaking softly; "Yes… Calm, your mind is now… Tell me, what do you see?"

Luke concentrated harder. Reddish clouds floated around him and he saw a long tower topped with an upside-down dome shape rising from the atmosphere of an unknown planet. It was a city, he saw as the dome shape came closer – he noticed some skyscrapers and vehicles zooming around. This image then dissolved into faces. These were familiar to him. Han was strapped to a frightening contraption, hissing and screeching in obvious pain (though the images in his mind were silent), but this image was then replaced by one of Leia, who looked worried and panic-stricken. He could see stormtroopers shooting as his friends ran, and then he saw Chewie, yelling at the walls of a small cell... A room then came to mind, orange-lit and ominous… And suddenly he felt Leia's presence like he'd never felt it before: the Princess was terrified by whatever it was she was witnessing…

All this was too much for Luke and his arms trembled a little before he fell to the ground in a heap. The stones and Artoo also dropped, and the astromech squealed. Luke had no time to make sure he was okay however. He immediately looked up at his master, who was already chastising him.

"Control!" Yoda said, "You _must_ learn control!"

"I – I saw my friends. Something terrible – I have to go to them." Luke gasped, ignoring him.

"The future it is."

"The future…?" He repeated thoughtfully, before falling silent. Yoda did not offer any more thoughts, so Luke had to ask; "Will they die?"

Yoda closed his eyes for a moment and his face screwed up slightly. "Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future."

"I've got to go." Luke decided, naturally. There was no question in his mind – Han and Leia would surely do the same for him.

"I cannot stop you, if your wish to save them it is." Yoda was saying behind him. Luke hadn't even realized he'd gotten up to leave. "But if the Force brought you this vision… A purpose your friends’ ordeal may have.”

This made Luke stop in his tracks. He felt such a great need to help his friends, but he knew he’s promised Ben he’d listen to Yoda. Then again, Yoda said the future was so unsure: maybe he was mistaken and Luke could save his friends. He did not understand how that could be wrong. In the end, it wasn't right for them to suffer, no matter the reason. He nearly decided to obey his master's will, but something more powerful made him see reason. It may be too late later on if he waited, and he'd never forgive himself if he let his friends die.

He stood straighter and looked Yoda in the eye. "I don't care. I must help them. That's something I'm certain of." As he walked away towards the ship resting on the bank of the swamp, he felt Yoda follow him.

"Reconsider, you must!" The elderly Jedi said.

Luke ignored him while he busied himself lifting his supplies into the X-Wing. Artoo swerved around his legs excitedly; he was obviously relieved at the thought of leaving this planet. It wasn't exactly made for droids.

As he seated himself in his cockpit, preparing the ship for lift off, he noticed Obi-Wan had appeared behind Master Yoda. He looked about to chastise him as well.

Luke offered them a grim smile. "I'm sorry, but I’ll come back. I promise."

The top of the cockpit fell over his head and he put on his helmet. As he left the ground he looked back down to watch Yoda and Ben's slowly receding forms. He did feel a tiny twinge of guilt for leaving Yoda all alone here and abandoning his training, but he felt sure he would return. Or perhaps his mind was trying to make him feel less guilty by believing he'd keep his promise.

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	5. Chapter 5

Everything was in place. Stormtroopers were leading the prisoners into the chamber and Vader watched as they were put into place on the other side of the hole in the middle of the floor. The princess exchanged a worried glance with the Corellian after he leaned in to speak with Calrissian. Vader realised he'd been watching them for too long and shook himself out of it; they were of no importance to him.

On his order, his troopers moved to grab the Corellian, but his wookiee friend would have none of it. The furry creature snarled in rage and knocked several troopers off their feet into the gap between their floor and the security ramps. Amidst it all, Vader could hear the protocol droid shouting, and Han Solo tried to calm the beast down. At his side, Fett raised his blaster, but Vader held him back. Bounty hunters were always too rash. Killing any of them would only enrage Luke too much.

"Chewie! Chewie, listen to me!" The Corellian was shouting now, and the wookiee stopped. "The princess… You have to take care of the princess, understand?" The wookiee nodded, and the smuggler looked down at Princess Leia, whose eyes were wide with fear now. No words were exchanged between them as they simply stared at each other for several instants before sharing a kiss. The troopers around them quickly put an end to that and dragged Solo away. The princess leaned in, trying to continue the kiss, but she was restrained too and they were torn apart. Vader felt a vein straining in his neck. Something about the smuggler and the princess being together annoyed him, for whatever reason.

He continued to watch Princess Leia as Solo was dragged to the central platform. His handcuffs were detached and the stormtroopers walked off. Now all that remained was for Vader to give the order, but he was still staring at the exchange. The princess took a small step forward and she said softly; "I love you."

The smuggler remained calm as he replied; "I know."

Vader decided had seen and heard quite enough then and was about to signal to the troops to commence the procedure, when something interrupted him. The words died on his tongue as he whipped around, staring at the person he saw standing on the walkway above them. Nobody else had noticed him, and his presence had only manifested itself to Vader now.

"You always were the smooth talker, Han." Luke said.

If Vader was speechless, his son's friends sure weren't. "Luke! You crazy son of a –"

"What are you _doing_ here?" Leia shouted, cutting off what would undoubtedly have been a rude comment on Solo's part.

The blond boy calmly strode down the walkway and the stairs leading to their platform, his eyes fixed upon Vader. Stormtroopers all around the room had their blasters pointed at him, but Vader barked at them to stay calm. Boba Fett had taken a step back and was watching the scene unravel from the shadows. Vader had a nasty feeling the bounty hunter was going to try something foolish.

Vader decided to maintain a calm facade too as he watched his son come to a halt a few feet away from him. "The Force is with you, young one," he commented, supposing that his son's newfound affinity for the Force had something to do with his ability at hiding his presence from him, "But you are not a Jedi yet." Indeed, he could sense the Force more clearly in his son, but also anger and fear, emotions that were most unbecoming of a Jedi Knight.

To his dismay, Luke ignored him and turned to look at his friends. "I came to rescue you guys of course."

"Right on time as always." Solo replied with a grin.

Vader growled at them. "Do not forget yourselves. If you think I will allow you all to leave this place, you are sadly mistaken." This effectively shut the smuggler up, but Princess Leia was next to speak.

"Luke, don’t fight him! We can't let you do this! You…" She took a deep breath and looked directly at Vader; "We won't let you have Luke. We know." These last two words hardly came as much of a surprise to Vader, who had already suspected his son's friends must know he was Luke's father. But he allowed himself a chuckle.

"If you truly knew what Luke is, you would be thanking me for taking him away from you, Princess." Vader signaled for a stormtrooper to walk over. "Take the princess and the wookiee to my ship. Bind Captain Solo as best you can and let the bounty hunter have him." He gestured to Fett; "Is this satisfactory?"

Boba Fett bowed his head. "Of course."

"Then take him away." Vader ordered, and the troops hurried to do as they were told. With a smirk, Vader saw Luke's hands tighten into fists. He caught the gist of what was going through his son's mind, and understood that the boy resented him speaking as though he weren't present.

"I won't let you do this." Luke said, gripping his lightsaber.

"I will deal with you once you have earned my attention, young one. Be quiet." Vader replied sharply, watching the prisoners being taken away. The wookiee was very reluctant to be led by troopers, but the princess was soothing him. The smuggler actually looked frightened now; the prospect of being given to Fett while he was still conscious seemed to bother him a lot more than being frozen in carbonite. Vader sensed a greater animosity between those two.

Now that Fett had taken Solo and left the room, Vader barked at the troopers and guards to stand back. Calrissian was still standing somewhere near the stairs, with a pathetic confused look on his face. Vader had nearly forgotten about him. He seemed to gain confidence when Vader glanced in his direction; "I never agreed to any of this! You said –"

" _Carful_ , Calrissian." Vader warned, "Go _supervise_ their transition from here to my ship if you must, but get out of my sight. You should consider yourself fortunate that I even let you live." A ringing silence followed his threat and Calrissian lost no time in hurrying out after the troops that were leading the princess and the wookiee away, his own guards right behind him. Now Vader was alone with his son, save for a few stormtroopers.

Luke was still standing in the same spot as before, looking quite livid now. Undoubtedly he was angry at his own uselessness in saving his friends. "You won’t get away with this."

"I believe I already have," Vader taunted. "Now, now, you have not come here to kill me have you? What kind of greeting is this after two long years?" Luke visibly recoiled at his words and Vader was pleased to see the boy had now ignited his lightsaber.

"I have come here to show you I am not afraid." His son said calmly, though his body language was anything but.

"Bold words, for someone who rushed to escaped me as soon as the chance presented itself."

"That wasn't because I was afraid. It was because I'm not stupid."

Vader smiled, and finally drew his own weapon. His son jumped slightly when it was lighted, but his face remained impassive. "Is that so? Then you should not be acting so rashly right now. Do not fight this. Do not let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did." The mention of his old master seemed to do the trick; Luke's face went pale and he jumped forth, brandishing his lightsaber high above his head. Vader blocked it easily and dodged the next few attacks swiftly. Every time a swing came too close, Vader's blade met with Luke's and pushed his away.

After barely a full minute of this, Luke began to shout at him. "FIGHT BACK! YOU COWARDLY –"

"You will show respect!" Vader snarled back, pushing his son away so hard he fell to the ground. The blond's weapon skidded away several feet and the blade flicked off. "And you have no right to call me a coward, after the way you fled the _Death Star_."

"SHUT UP! I won't let you – you can't – you can't _lecture_ me! As if _you_ have any right to act like my _father_." Luke's limbs were spread out and he looked quite vulnerable; Vader had to exercise great control in order not to hit him accidentally.

"It is you destiny to join me," Vader said slowly. "You will come willingly. It is only a matter of time."

Luke paused for a moment, breathing heavily. "Let my friends go. Let them leave and I might."

Vader scoffed, for he could feel the dishonestly in his son’s words. "You know I can’t do that."

"Then you’ll have to kill me!" Luke snarled.

Deciding that the fight was over, Vader reached forwards and called over Luke's fallen lightsaber with the Force. His son's eyes went wide and he got up to run over to him. His right arm was stretched out in front of him to try and retrieve his weapon before it reached Vader's hand.

It happened quickly; Vader swung his lightsaber at Luke, intending only to wordlessly warn him to stay back, but he knew something was wrong when Luke doubled over in pain, yelling his lungs out. Blinking, Vader stared and flicked his saber off so he was now holding two unlit lightsabers. After a few moments he noticed that Luke's hand was no longer attached to his wrist and had fallen down a nearby shaft. The boy was on his knees now, hissing in pain and holding his stump of an arm close to his chest.

This reaction annoyed Vader. He, more than anyone, knew what it felt like to lose a limb. His son's agonized cries were hardly necessary in his opinion. "Get up." He ordered, hitting him lightly with his foot. The boy merely shook his head and scampered away.

"I'll never join you. Never… You'll have to kill me." The boy repeated, putting all his hate into the words.

"You're pathetic. But you'll learn in time." Vader pulled his son up by his uninjured arm, and the boy straightened, though his legs were limp. The Sith looked over to the few stormtroopers remaining. It was always hard to tell, but they looked uncomfortable.

"Bind him tightly." He ordered. "You will accompany me while we take him to the _Executor_ , where you will all be responsible for supervising him. I swear that if he escapes, I shall personally track down and kill your families, along with you."

The stormtroopers were silent and they didn't seem to dare look at each other. After a moment, one of them bowed. "Understood, Sir."

**.**

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**.**

Everyone's voices sounded far away and dulled out by the rushing in his ears as Luke boarded the _Executor_. They had brought him up off the planet on a small Imperial shuttle, which was now resting in the hangar behind them. He had difficulty walking, but the stormtroopers were holding him very tightly by the arms. It didn't even occur to Luke to try and evade them. He knew Vader's threat to the troopers had not been only for their sake – and Luke did not want to be responsible for any innocent people's deaths.

There was also the fact that his father was standing right behind them.

Vader had not spoken a word since leaving Cloud City, but Luke considered it a blessing. He was not in any mood for more conversation right now. Moreover, the pain in his arm was still excruciating. His whimpering went ignored by everyone on board, for which Luke was grateful. He didn't need to be embarrassed further. The fact he was allowed to remain silent gave him time to think. He'd thought himself pretty smart, hiding his presence and barging in to rescue his friends, but now not only had he been unable to secure their escape, he had been captured also.

It was hard to believe that just this morning he'd been waking up in Yoda's hut on Dagobah, as he now looked around him at the hangar of the _Executor_. Troopers and Imperial officers were standing all around them, present only to greet Vader on board the ship, and were staring at Luke as if he were a disgusting creature everybody wished to see dead.

Well, perhaps that was exactly what Luke seemed like to them. Maybe they couldn't understand why Vader had risked so much and worked so hard to obtain a short, scrawny guy who obviously did not look like he belonged anywhere near a Star Destroyer, or any kind of ship for that matter. Luke caught sight of his own reflection in the shiny surface of a nearby shuttle and winced; he did indeed look quite pathetic, all bound up, his hair a mess, his stump arm awkwardly restrained by binders (it wasn't like he could do much to defend himself with a hand missing), and covered in dried blood. His usually tanned skin was pale and greyish. There was also a bruise on his cheekbone, several cuts on his jaw and some dirt on his nose, which he supposed he must've acquired on Dagobah… He realized this was the first time he'd seen his reflection since before Hoth, and desperately tried to stay still to gaze at himself some more, but Vader pushed him forwards with unnecessary force. Luke got the hint: try anything funny, and others would pay.

He was marched straight to the detention level and dumped into one of the cells rather unceremoniously. As soon as his bindings were removed, Luke curled up in the corner to cradle his mutilated arm. He felt weak, and supposed he must look every bit as wretched as he felt, but he didn't care at the moment. He desperately needed to feel his arm move in order to get rid of the numb feeling. Lightsabers cauterized wounds, but he had still lost a bit of blood and his body was reacting in consequence. His brain was starting to feel fuzzy now, which couldn't be a good sign, and he attributed his weakness to hunger. He'd only eaten a small portion of Yoda's paltry soup today, and his body had no strength left to heal itself.

As he lay there with his legs trembling under him, he heard Vader talking outside the cell door, which had not yet been closed. "Call a medic here immediately. He is to be treated for severe wounds only. Even if he begs for food or water, do not give it to him. You are to treat him like a regular prisoner. However you do not have permission to hit him, whatever he may say or do. You three, stay inside the cell with him at all times. Last time he was left without surveillance, he escaped my grip for two years, so watch him closely."

Seconds later, three stormtroopers entered the room and seated themselves opposite him. Luke ignored them, focusing on examining his arm. He was grateful that a medic was coming. In his experience, they were very compassionate people who cared for all their patients, no matter where they came from. His wound didn't look infected, but it was starting to feel quite unbearable. He hoped he'd get something for the pain at least.

He didn't have to wait long. Soon, a short man, probably in his later thirties, with very straight, ear-length jet-black hair entered the room and crouched down to observe his wound. "I am doctor Karrson." He said simply as he touched Luke's stump arm. "Is it too much to ask for a med bed in here?" The man then mumbled to himself.

Luke surprised himself at how soft his voice sounded when he asked; "What's your name?"

The medic frowned slightly, but did not look up. "Dr. Karrson." He repeated, more slowly.

"No, no… What's your _name_?" Luke asked, still as calm. At this, the doctor's eyes shot up to meet his, something that had not yet happened. It had the desired effect; Luke had simply wanted this human contact. He'd been surrounded by people wearing either blank-faced helmets or disgusted looks ever since he'd boarded.

The medic was still hesitating, but Luke kept looking into his eyes, which were a greyish blue. Finally, the man seemed to cave and replied, "Harv. Harv Karrson." Luke smiled and the doc immediately avoided his gaze, returning to his arm.

"This is quite a wound…" He commented at last, "Unlike any I've ever seen. It seems to already be cauterized!"

"Have you ever seen a lightsaber?" Luke asked him, and the medic glanced nervously over at the stormtroopers in the room. Up until now he had not spared them even the slightest glance; perhaps he was used to treating patients with guards around.

"Well… Lord Vader has one. I've never seen it myself, but…"

"Can you put two and two together then, Harv?" Luke asked, not unkindly. He saw the doctor's eyes widen, but he did not comment. He instead assumed a firm look and said; "Please call me doctor Karrson."

"Luke."

"…What?" The doctor asked.

"That's my name. Luke Skywalker."

"Pleased to meet you." Harv said formally, before coughing and resuming his work. "Well it seems like there's nothing much to do but to clean this up and replace your hand. I'll call for the equipment to be brought here. Even better, perhaps you could be transferred to the medibay…?" He looked over at the troopers again and all three of them shook their heads, making Luke smirk. They still feared for their lives.

"Ah," Harv said, disappointed, "I'd figured as much. Why they insist on keeping critical patients such as yourself in cold, unsterilized cells is quite beyond me. You wouldn't be the first to catch an infection because of unsuitable sanitary conditions. Anyway, I should evaluate your, um, mental state now. Um… Luke."

"Yes? Okay." Luke replied, a little put off by the doctor's hesitation.

"How old are you?" The doc asked, watching him closely.

"Twenty standard years old."

"Home planet?"

"Tatooine, in the Outer Rim."

"Do you know where you currently are?"

"On board the Super Star Destroyer _Executor_."

"Well," Harv said, standing up. "Everything seems to be in order. I don't suppose I could reason with Lord Vader and get you a more comfortable room until you recover… I don't know why not – you don't seem very dangerous to me." He offered a small smile, which Luke returned.

"I could surprise you." He said cheekily, deciding to have a little fun at the doctor's expense. It obviously worked, because Harv took a small step back.

"Well," he started again nervously, "I'll be back in a few with your replacement hand… And I’ll see about some painkillers." The doctor then hastily left the room, leaving him with his three grumpy, untalkative stormtroopers.

Luke felt a little guilty – Harv was merely a medic and had done nothing wrong by him, except maybe choosing a job in the Empire… But then he reminded himself that this was Vader's flagship. Everyone here had been handpicked by the man himself. Therefore, Harv was surely an Imperial at heart. This thought caused him discomfort, and he fleeting wondered what Han and Leia would think of him, fraternizing with the enemy like that…

Soon enough, Harv returned with more supplies. Luke greeted him with a 'Hi' but was ignored. The medic started to treat his wounds with bacta fluid and Luke hissed through his teeth at the stinging sensation. This didn't last long and very quickly, Luke was fitted with a brand new, top quality hand prosthetic. Harv pricked each of his fingers in turn, along with his palm, to see if the connections had been made and that his reflexes were correct. To his surprise, Luke saw his new fake fingers react to the touches.

As Harv drew away and packed his supplies up again, Luke lifted his arm and observed the new limb. It felt heavy and numb, and already his wrist was itching for him to remove it, but he supposed the sensation would fade in time. Even though he didn't voice these inquiries, Harv began to explain.

"It may feel strange at first, but you'll quickly get used to it. This is relatively new technology. Cutting edge, you could say. Lord Vader insisted you be fitted with this one particularly."

"My good mood is effectively ruined now." Luke said, realizing only seconds later that it had been out loud. Harv looked surprised.

"How could you even have been in a good mood before?" When Luke remained silent, he added; "And your wound is treated now, there's no reason to be upset."

Luke smirked grimly. "Do you know when Vader's coming back?"

Harv appeared shocked. " _Lord_ Vader does not discuss such things with people like me."

"I see. His precious time is too important to be wasted on medics, right?" Luke said, and was amused at the baffled look on Harv's face. "Anyway… I'd really like some food." He rubbed at his stomach as though to emphasize this, although he'd only said it to steer the conversation away from this dangerous subject.

As he'd expected, one of the troopers behind Harv spoke up firmly; "No food."

"Right." Luke said distractedly. He then looked back up at Harv, who looked ready to leave. "Well if you happen to come across _his Lordship Vader_ , would you please tell him I don't want to see him?"

Harv looked at him as though he were crazy. "I simply wouldn't dare." He said before leaving the cell as fast as his legs could carry him.

**.**

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Vader had taken to haunting the shadows of the bridge, watching closely for any incompetence. He'd only just retrieved his son, and already it was having adverse effects on his temper. Despite this being his flagship, the workers of the bridge did not often have to carry out their duties under his supervision; Vader much preferred retiring to his chambers or tending to his personal shuttle than having to deal with these people. Supervising a bridge of frightened, nervous, usually useless subordinates came very close to his personal definition of babysitting.

Speaking of which, an anxious officer suddenly approached him and saluted.

"What it is, Lieutenant?" Vader demanded, eyeing the grade mark on the man's uniform.

"My Lord, you have a comcall…" The man shuffled uncomfortably and handed him a holo-com. The image was fuzzy, but he could make out the form of Boba Fett.

"Solo escaped." Fett said. He sounded reproachful.

"That is none of my concern, bounty hunter. I practically handed Solo to you on a silver platter." Vader growled, annoyed that the ever arrogant Fett would contact him for something as trivial as this. Although… "How did he escape?" He added, having a nasty feeling that a certain princess had something to do with it.

Fett paused. It was hard to tell, but he might have been embarrassed. " _Your_ prisoners snatched him from me. They shot down one of my engines."

Vader sighed. Despite everything, he rather respected Boba Fett. "Use this clearance code," he typed something in and made sure Fett received it, "You may board my Star Destroyer and have your ship repaired. Consider this compensation for the loss of Solo."

The bounty hunter bowed his head. "Thanks, I appreciate it." There was another silence, and he added as an afterthought; "Lord."

Vader sighed and cut off the call, returning the comm to the lieutenant. The man put it back in its place and cleared his throat. Vader turned back to him to hear what else he had to say.

"We have intelligence from Bespin that the _Millennium Falcon_ has just taken off. What are your orders, sir?"

"Admiral Piett had his men disabled the _Falcon_ 's hyperdrive. Seeing as they will be unable to escape our hold this time, I suggest you go prepare a boarding party. All weapons are to be set for stun, am I understood?"

"Very good, milord." The man gave a tiny bow of the head and walked off rather quickly. Vader stared at the spot he'd previously occupied, not really looking at anything in particular. What could this mean? How in all the stars could this ship keep evading him every time? This was surely due to his own troops' incompetence rather than the _Falcon_ 's worth as a ship. Vader grunted; it was all irrelevant. Soon, the Princess and that smuggler would be on board the _Executor_ and then they would know the true meaning of hell.

Spotting Piett at the viewport, Vader stalked over to him. Apparently the man was on edge. _Understandable,_ Vader reflected, smirking, _his entire career as well as his life depends on this._

"Ah, Lord Vader. The ship should be captured in moments." The admiral said automatically. Vader kept silent, watching the progress of the _Falcon_ , which was now rising from Bespin's cloudy atmosphere. He could already feel the satisfaction of capturing Princess Leia, and making her watch as he killed her precious smuggler friend…

Next to him, Piett stiffened. Vader stared into space, hardly daring to believe it. The _Millennium Falcon_ had just winked off into hyperspace, seconds away from being in range of their tractor beam. Vader turned away to look at the wall blankly, before looking back into space as though the darned ship would still be there. It wasn't. Strangely, his anger wasn't as strong as usual. Normally, Piett would be on his knees begging for life right now, but Vader felt rather numb instead of blinded by rage.

The sound of his respirator was the only noise on the bridge as Vader walked past Piett and his first mate, who were both sweating profusely. Everybody's wide eyes followed his journey from the viewport to his exiting the bridge. Vader had only one thing on his mind – his son was alive and on board his flagship. That he had lost the princess and the smuggler was hardly important right now. If he knew anything about them, they couldn't risk everything to try and save Luke, as the latter had done for them. Luke was reckless and impulsive, but Princess Leia would not jeopardize the entire rebellion in order to save one man.

Right now, his main preoccupation was to deal with his son.

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	6. Chapter 6

Luke was drifting somewhere between sleep and consciousness. His body needed to sleep in order to recover, but he did not want to do anything that might make him look vulnerable. He had tried, without success, to learn the names of his stormtrooper guards, but none of them responded to any of his questions. If not for the occasional shift of the arm or twitch of shoulders, Luke might have thought they were all asleep. He privately thought sleeping on the job must be easy when you wore one of those helmets. You could be anyone under those.

So now he was dozing slightly, his eyes fluttering shut every few moments, but he forced himself to remain awake…

Until he felt a presence approaching. Someone angry was making their way over here, and he didn't need three guesses to know who it was. He forced himself to stand up just as the door to his cell slid open and Darth Vader stepped inside. A sharp hissing breath rang through the small room and the three stormtroopers, evidently startled, all scrambled to their feet and saluted.

"Leave us. Stand watch outside the cell." Vader boomed at the troopers, who all but walked all over each other in order to obey. Once the door was shut behind him, Vader took a few steps forward and Luke kept his eyes trained on his father's helmet. The low light of the cell accentuated the angular features and hollow sockets of the mask, and cast his shadow upon Luke. Déjà-vu filled him as he remembered all the last times he'd faced his father. The Sith had dominated him on all accounts. _Not today_ , Luke decided, standing tall.

"You have been trained since we last met, I see." Vader observed casually. "But it is not enough. Incidentally, how is your new hand?"

Luke twitched uncomfortably but said nothing. He could not let Vader get to him this time, make him lose his head. The Force was strong within him now and he held onto it as tightly as a lifeline. He could not deny that Vader's dark, intimidating form looming at him from above was tearing at his resolve, threatening to release his fear, but Luke tried to remain calm as Yoda had showed him. It was much easier to do now that he was not faced with the physical situation of his friends being taken away… He made his face a blank in an effort to present a strong outer shell, despite the emotions pooling deep in his heart.

A sudden cold presence brushed against Luke's mind, making him shiver.

"You think you have greater control over your emotions… But I can still feel your fears and your anger beneath those poorly constructed barriers of yours." Vader mocked, taking one more step towards him. "Why did you come here today, so deliberately? What makes you think you are ready to face me now, when not a month ago you fled from the mere presence of me on Hoth?"

Luke tried to keep his jaw firmly shut and stay true to his resolve, but he had to say it; "It wasn't for you! I had to save my friends." At once he knew he shouldn't have said this; he felt his emotions fill him to the brim. This lasted only a moment before he managed to gather his emotional walls back up again, but he knew Vader must have felt it.

"Yes I see… You care deeply about them. You are even willing to die for them." Luke glared at the faceless mask, but Vader continued, now speaking in a low rasp; "Don't you know how dangerous these feelings are, little Jedi?" As he spoke, his helmet tilted forwards even more to rest inches from Luke's face.

Darkness reached from Vader slowly, engulfing Luke in a matter of seconds. His knees buckled and he struggled to keep his head upright. "You said you’d come willingly if I let your friends go," the Sith growled, "They have escaped yet again." Luke's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but grin.

"Well then you didn’t _really_ let them go did you? My friends are better than you thought, right?"

"They are irrelevant." Vader straightened, and Luke exhaled a breath he had not realized he'd been holding in. But the Sith was not done; "And they are no longer your friends."

"No longer…" Luke stuttered. "What're you talking about? Of course, they –" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Vader was trying to make him angry again, he realized. Luke took a step back until his back was against the wall, but Vader closed in on him. He apparently had no sense of personal space.

"Go away." Luke said, frustrated.

"Not until you answer one question. And your answer had better be to my liking."

Luke kept his eyes shut and his jaw tightly closed, silently making a point that he had nothing to say.

"I think you know what I am here to ask, son." Vader was saying now. His voice sounded louder. "Will you join me and become my apprentice?"

Luke hesitated. His retort was ready in his mind, but he had to admit he was afraid of what Vader would do if he said it. He opened his eyes at stared up at the Sith. "Will you tell me about my mother?" He asked. Immediately, he felt Vader tense.

"This is not a bargain." He said. "You _will_ join me eventually. Only you can decide when that shall be, but keep in mind that every day you resist me, you become weaker. You'll find that I can be very persuasive."

"I think you'll find I can be very resilient." Luke shot back, copying his father's tone.

The silence that followed was icy. Vader chuckled, but he did not sound amused at all. "We shall see." He said darkly, before turning away. "I am not leaving," he then added and Luke wondered for a moment whether he had read his mind – he'd only just felt relief at the fact that he was going. "I am merely going to order food to be brought here. Am I right in guessing you are hungry?"

It took all of Luke's sense of pride to keep him from answering, or even merely nodding. A moment passed and finally the door to the cell opened. Luke heard Vader shouting things at various people. He brought his arms close to his body and sank back to the floor. What was the point in resisting? If he declined food, he'd only get weaker, as Vader had said. On the other hand, he couldn't let himself be tempted. Master Yoda's words sounded through his mind;

' _If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.'_

The prospect was dark and uninviting as he thought it over right now, but he knew once the sensation entered his mind he would be lured by it. He'd learned that by experience; the Dark side truly was appealing… _No!_ His own voice shouted over these thoughts, _Think of Vader. You don't want to be like him._

Speak of the devil: Vader was coming back now and this time Luke didn't have the resolve to stand back up. His arm was still throbbing and his legs were weak. His father stepped to the middle of the room and dropped a platter at his feet. Luke turned his head away, refusing to even look at the food, but once the smell reached his nose he couldn't bear it anymore. His eyes shot to the tray and what he saw made him salivate. There was some kind of steak – he didn't know which sort – a pile of soggy vegetables and a tall cup of water. They were only space rations, admittedly rather good ones, but they were the best food Luke had laid eyes on in weeks.

He was vaguely aware that he was starting to drool, and his stomach squirmed uncomfortably. Vader kept silent, watching him from several feet away, but Luke wasn't looking back. His eyes were focused on the hot food for several long moments more, but he finally averted his gaze and shuffled deeper into his corner.

"I don't want it." He said out loud to the room, not only to Vader. To be honest, he was trying to convince himself just as much as the Sith.

"What?" Vader asked him slowly, in a dangerous kind of voice.

"I don't want any food," Luke repeated. "I'm not hungry."

"Foolish. This may be the only time you are offered food."

Luke didn't answer, and didn't look up. He knew Vader was still there because of the sound of his breathing, but he didn't want to see him. After at least two long minutes, he heard the platter being scraped back up from the floor and Vader's footsteps echoed around the stone walls. The door slid open, then shut, and he became aware that his father was gone and the three silent stormtroopers were back. Luke only looked at them once he was sure they had settled back into their positions on the ground.

His stomach rumbled again and Luke groaned interiorly. He had no way of knowing when he'd again get the opportunity to eat, but he did suppose that Vader didn't want him dead. Maybe it was stupid to refuse food, but it was one battle he felt sure he could win.

**.**

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Luke soon found out that he was gravely mistaken. Refusing to eat food _did_ get a lot harder as time went by.

Every day – or so he theorized, since he had no way of knowing how long he'd been in here – Vader entered the cell and placed a plate of food near his feet. It was different each time, and must have been taken up from the kitchens of the _Executor_ ; he knew he wasn't being offered second-grade stuff here. This was the same thing everyone on this ship ate.

Every day Vader stood in front of him stoically for at least five minutes, watching as Luke stared at the food. No words were exchanged, but the subtext was clear. Every day Vader asked his ever-present question, and every day Luke's answer was no. After this silent argument, Vader would retrieve the platter of food and leave, passing the three stormtroopers on his way out.

The stormtroopers were always the same ones, Luke knew, but they weren't in his cell around the clock. He supposed they must have other duties, or Vader was sufficiently confident Luke would not try to escape again. He had a point, too; how would he even escape this time? With no lightsaber and with officers constantly standing guard outside the room, all odds were against him. The stormtroopers seemed always to return in the morning, leave only when Vader entered, and then stay until Luke fell asleep. He knew this because they were almost always gone when he woke up.

He tried as much as he could to maintain a normal sleep pattern, which was relatively hard to do when you were hungry, and had no indicators to tell you the time of day. Harv the medic had returned once, presumably about three days after his arrival, to check-up on his new hand. Despite Luke's greeting, the doctor had said nothing during the whole time except for the occasional 'Tell me where it hurts' or 'Can you feel that?' He had then left without another word, leaving Luke feeling slightly dejected. He'd been hoping that making conversation with the medic may help him keep it together, but even that was too much to hope for.

Days went by like this for what he could only guess was close to one week. Luke was getting very hungry now, and he felt weaker by the day. The pain at the bottom of his stomach was getting easier to ignore, but the dizziness was a whole different matter. He was allowed one visit to the fresher a day, and he always made the most of his time in there, drinking as much water from the sink as the stormtroopers allowed.

He was also terribly bored. He'd already found lots of patterns on the walls of his cell shaped like various things; a speeder, a bantha, the _Millennium Falcon_ , a lightsaber, the shape of the Lars homestead back on Tatooine… And once, even the shape of Vader's mask. He'd hastily dug at the wall with his knuckles until the form was no longer visible.

He'd also grown rather tired of watching his stormtrooper guards, but they were the only mildly interesting thing to look at in here. For fault of learning their real ones, he'd given them all names. With nothing else to do all day but watch his silent captors, he'd come to discover some small details that set them apart from each other. The first one had been dubbed Grumpy, because he was always the one who seemed to snap, and told him shortly to shut up when he asked too many questions. He was the only one who'd ever spoken.

The one who always sat in the middle was Grouch, because he had a tendency to clench his fists around his blaster and seemed the most impatient of the three.

The third stormtrooper had a lot of rust on his helmet and seemed shorter than the others. He was constantly fidgeting and playing with his fingers and so, because of his apparent inability to stay in one place for so long, he had received the name Crank.

Grumpy, Grouch and Crank did not have any reaction when he addressed them, further adding to Luke's disappointment. They hardly had any reaction to anything, except for when Luke got too chatty. Grumpy would then let out a harsh 'Shut up, Kid.' It always made Luke smile for some reason; perhaps it reminded him of Han. Or maybe he was finally losing it.

But he got sad if he started thinking about his friends for too long, so he tried not to. Often, he wondered if Vader had lied. Maybe Han, Leia and Chewie had not escaped at all and were being held in cells just like his own right now. Maybe – and this thought made his heart feel like it weighed a ton – they had already been killed.

He tried instead to think of Wedge, Hobbie, Wes and the other pilots. It was just a feeling, but he knew somehow that the Alliance was still safe. The thought kept him going.

Sometimes his thoughts strayed to his father and his intentions and he wondered if Vader truly even cared that his son was alive or if he only saw him as a potential apprentice. In an echo of Master Yoda, he would then remind himself that these dark feelings would get him nowhere. Still, he often found himself looking for the right words, wondering if there was anything he could say that would get through to his father. He knew he was probably wasting his time. Perhaps his father was really just a cold-hearted Sith lord.

**.**

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**.**

Everything changed this routine one day when Vader came for his daily visit. Luke had been talking to himself as he often did. He found it was a good way to keep himself alert. Today he'd been rambling on about one time he and Han had been surprised by several TIE fighters while making a delivery to a base somewhere with the _Falcon_. He liked talking about times he'd defeated Imperials, to see if he get his stormtrooper guards riled up. It never really worked.

He looked up when the door slid open, and Grumpy, Grouch and Crank scrambled to get up. They stood to attention as Vader passed the threshold, then obediently left the cell. Vader was not carrying food this time, to Luke's surprise. Maybe the Sith was finally going to let him die here. It wasn't that he _wanted_ to die, just that the alternative wasn't his first choice.

Vader stared down at him coldly, causing Luke to wonder how it was even possible that he knew this when the man was wearing a full body suit complete with scary mask. After several of his breathing cycles, the Sith then made a sound like clearing his throat and spoke; "You have disappointed me, son." He rumbled. "You should know that I will not let you die, and that I am not doing any of this to hurt you."

"You've got a funny way of showing it." Luke replied.

"You are in this situation by your own fault," Vader went on to say, as if Luke had never spoken. "Today I offer you a clear choice. Remain in this cell, and I shall have no choice but to have you force-fed. It will not be a pleasant experience." He paused to let the threat of this hang between them for a moment. "Alternatively, you can come with me, where you will stay in a comfortable room and be freed of this unnecessary boredom."

Luke stared up at him for a long moment, before heaving a sigh; "And what's the catch?"

"You are to obey any order I give you without questioning it. Furthermore, you will acknowledge me as your master and pledge yourself to my teachings."

"There's no chance of any of that happening." Luke said stubbornly, automatically. Vader surveyed him for a brief moment more, and then turned to leave. As he did, he said dispassionately; "I shall go fetch your food, then."

"Wait!" Luke shot out desperately. He then winced, hating himself for displaying such weakness. However, Vader had stopped on his way to the door, which Luke took as an invitation to speak. "I… I don't want to be force-fed." _Much less by you_ , he thought privately.

Vader turned back to him and crossed his arms against his broad chest. "Am I to take that as yes on my offer? You must state clearly what you mean to say, young one."

"Darn it…" Luke mumbled. He knew he would regret this later, but being force-fed sounded too humiliating. And the opportunity to get out of here was too tempting. At least Vader had been the one to crack, apparently unable to watch him suffer like this. Luke looked up at the man and contemplated his options for a second. Vader seemed to care enough that he did not want him to die like this. He was staring at Luke impatiently, with bated breath even. Something about this made his decision for him.

"I will come with you," Luke said dejectedly. "And I… I'll do whatever you say." Immediately after speaking, he felt Vader’s mind brush against his own. It was not quite the same though – right now he seemed almost… pleased.

"A good start." Vader said, "But I believe there was more to it than that."

Luke paused; if he said what he was about to say, did that qualify as _'starting down the dark path'_? He finally decided to push master Yoda out of his mind for now though. He knew what he was doing. However, he couldn't bring himself to say 'pledge myself'. The finality of it bothered him. "I _acknowledge_ you as my master." He said instead before adding, for good measure, "Father."

Vader gave a short nod. "Get up." He ordered, and Luke did so slowly. His limbs were still weak and standing up too fast made him feel nauseated. "Follow me." Vader then said, and the door opened when he turned to face it. Luke started to walk, and it made him feel even more battered. The harsh white lighting of the corridor made his eyes sting, but Vader's dark form was easy to follow even if he squinted.

They walked through the detention center, where officials and guards stared at Luke when he passed. He supposed he must look even shabbier and more diminutive than before. He was also aware that he had not had a proper shower since before Dagobah, and was suddenly ashamed of this fact. After what felt like weeks with barely any basic human needs, he was reminded of how important these were. He wondered when he would be allowed some food.

They left the detention block and Luke tiredly followed Vader through another series of corridors, all the way to a lift. Only when they stopped to wait for the elevator did Luke realize that Grumpy, Grouch and Crank were following them close behind. Vader had probably gestured for them to follow.

The door to the lift opened and all the officers inside stepped out of it rather hastily. Luke had the suspicion that even those whose floor this was not also left, simply not to be in Vader's presence for too long. He followed his father into the lift, and the three stormtroopers positioned themselves around them. The motions of the elevator made Luke feel slightly sick and he was relieved when it was all over.

The corridor they came out into was dark and even colder than the detention level. Vader stopped him in front of a large door, which was secured by a password-activated touch screen. Luke tried to steal a glance to figure out what password Vader had just typed in, but it went by too fast. The door slid open and Vader stopped Luke from entering by placing a firm hand on his shoulder. Luke twitched under the touch, and realized this was probably the first time Vader had touched him without hurting him. He glanced up at the black mask, watching silently as Vader gave orders for the stormtroopers to report back to him later. They all saluted, and Crank gave a formal 'Yes, sir.' Luke was surprised at how young he sounded, quite unlike many other troopers who all seemed to have the same, mature voice.

As the troopers left them, Vader beckoned for him to enter. Luke stared beyond the open door into the room. It was dimly lit from round, white lights in the floor, and there didn't seem to be that much furniture. There was something about the room that made him want to stay as far away from it as possible, but he didn't have strength enough to resist when Vader pushed him forwards impatiently. He entered and stared around him some more. There was a large, intricate ebony desk that looked like it belonged in the office of a king, a spherical black object big enough for possibly two people to fit inside, and a huge viewport on the furthest wall. The room was spotless, but that didn't mean it looked lived in.

"These are my private quarters." Vader said suddenly. Luke wondered vaguely whether he was expected to make a comment, but none came to mind. He stared around a little longer and watched as Vader stepped to the right side of the room. The Sith opened a door Luke had not noticed and gestured for him to follow. They walked through yet another small corridor and a second, identical door. Beyond this new door was a similar, albeit smaller chamber, which was thankfully devoid of large black pods. Instead, there was a bed and a small nightstand. Luke looked around, noticing how everything from the walls to the silky bed sheets seemed to be either black or varying tints of grey.

"You shall be staying here for the time being." Vader explained. "I will have food brought up to you now and I suggest you get some sleep after you are fed. We will be leaving the _Executor_ soon."

"Okay, thanks." Luke said through clenched teeth, keeping his eyes trained on the dark floor.

"I sense resentment." Said Vader.

"You cut off my hand!" Luke snapped, finally looking up at him.

"Do you want an apology?" Vader asked before leaving the room, leaving Luke to stare after him.

It took several seconds for Luke to realize it had been sarcastic.

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	7. Chapter 7

He could not remember ever eating a meal so fast in his life. The food wasn't as good as he'd expected it to be, but they were in space after all. It would have to do. Even though he still felt queasy, he ate all of it. A silver protocol droid had brought him the tray of food as well as a change of clothing. He'd thanked it awkwardly, but it hadn't been as chatty as Threepio was and had left without responding. Luke had then found the door to a tiny fresher and debated for a long time about whether or not to put on the new clothes. Now that he was all clean it felt gross to put his old pilot suit back on, but the clothes he'd been brought were sort of the wrong style for him, to put it mildly.

The trousers were okay he supposed, as he slipped them on. They were made from a rigid fabric and, unlike the top, did not carry any ensign. The top was a grey military jacket with a lot of buttons, the Imperial logo stitched onto the shoulder and a lieutenant grade badge on the front. He threw it to the corner of the room and instead put back on the now very dirty white shirt he'd been wearing before. He also kept his own boots in favour of the black ones that had come with the uniform.

Next he'd finally settled down on the bed, which was actually very comfortable. Despite everything, he'd had a fair amount of sleep while in the cell so he wasn't actually that tired right now. It just felt good to lie on something other than a hard stone floor for once. The sheets were black silk and they felt cool against his skin. He shivered and decided to pull one of the covers over his body. As he settled into the very welcome warmth of a bed, he once again contemplated his situation.

So he'd finally caved into to his father's demands. With no idea what Vader was going to do next, Luke didn’t exactly have a plan. He still felt relatively confident that he'd be able to resist the dark side, but Master Yoda’s warnings were still fresh in his mind. He frowned. Why was it always the dark side that affected the light? What if Luke could pull Vader over to his side? What then?

Luke felt his eyes close on their own. He thought vaguely of Han and Leia, wondering what they were up to right now, and yawned…

He jumped to a start and was pulled out of sleep when the door connecting this room to the corridor outside slid open loudly. The dark form of Vader entered and Luke hastily sat up. He immediately resented himself for it, but his father's presence still made him rather uneasy.

"You must stand when I enter a room." Vader told him sharply. Biting down a retort, Luke did so, and Vader continued; " _What_ are you wearing?"

"A t-shirt." Luke replied, resisting the urge to roll his eyes; he'd known this would happen.

"I specifically had the droid bring you a complete military uniform, but I can see only the trousers seemed to have passed your test. Retrieve the rest of it from the floor and wear it." Luke did not trust himself to disobey, so he wearily got up to get the forgotten top from off the ground. He then kicked off his own boots and pulled on the black ones. As he sat back down on the bed in order to remove his white shirt, he paused in the middle of it to glance back at Vader.

"Do you mind?" He asked rather self-consciously. He'd never been very comfortable with his body and right now he was sure he was covered in blemishes and cuts. Not exactly a façade he wanted to present to Vader. However, the dark Lord didn't react to his comment, so Luke simply turned away to change his shirt. When he was done, he stood back up, and Vader looked him up and down.

"Better." He commented. "Before you follow me, I have some important instructions to give you. The fact that I am your father must remain a secret now. You are merely my apprentice here, is that clear?"

"Sure." Luke replied impatiently.

"Is that clear?" Vader repeated, obviously not satisfied with Luke's casual choice of words.

"Yes." Luke corrected, very nearly letting out a sigh. He was already growing weary of this tirade.

"If someone addresses you, you will respond in clear, formal sentences. You will refer to admirals and officers as 'sir', and to me as 'master' in the presence of others. Others will call you 'Lieutenant' due to your badge; that is now your rank, in addition to being my apprentice. Understood?"

"Yes." Luke said, with some difficulty. This was already sounding like more than he'd bargained for for today. But Vader then said something that made Luke's head snap up in anticipation.

"If you are able to conduct yourself in a proper manner until we reach our destination, I shall agree to _one_ conversation regarding anything you wish to know. Choose your questions wisely and know that my anger is not to be tested."

"Yes." Luke said again, this time with a lot more enthusiasm. He still desperately wanted to ask about his mother.

"Very well, then. Follow me, and none of that hunched posture of yours – keep your back straight and your chin up." Vader ordered as they left the room. This time Luke really did roll his eyes, but Vader did not see as his back was turned. He trailed behind Vader as long as they were in abandoned corridors, but once it became clear they were about to enter the bridge, Luke's ego got the better of him.

He levelled side-by-side with Vader just as the door opened and entered at the same time as him. If it was inappropriate for him to do so, Vader did not comment. Every officer and worker in the room glanced up and regarded him with varying amounts of surprise and curiosity as they marched to the observation deck. A man with a very serious expression on his face came up to them once they stopped, and saluted with his eyes fixed firmly on Vader. Luke didn't listen to what the man was saying as he was busy reading the badge on his uniform. This man was apparently the admiral in chief.

"Very well, Admiral." Vader was saying now. He beckoned Luke forwards and said, in a bored voice; "This is Luke."

The admiral's eyes zipped to his and he stepped forward to him. "Pleased to meet you… Lieutenant." The man said, glancing only briefly at Luke's badge. His expression was hard to read and gave Luke the impression that he was sizing him up. He was aware that he must still look pretty sickly and battered, but hadn't his entering with Vader made him look at least a little important?

"Pleased to meet you too, sir." Luke answered a little awkwardly.

"He is my apprentice." Vader added, and any sign of aversion immediately disappeared from the admiral's face. Luke kept his gaze firmly, but the admiral's eyes looked to the ground and back a few times. _He's afraid of me_ , Luke thought, surprised.

"It's an honour to have you on board." The admiral then said, giving him a small salute. Luke gave a nod, but privately thought the man would be horrified of what he'd just said if he knew who he _really_ was. Another man approached, and the admiral averted his eyes completely now.

"Lord Vader, I have the report you requested." The new arrival said, and Luke turned away, already bored. He walked closer to the panoramic viewport to get a better view. Vader didn't tell him not to so he assumed he didn't need to be present for whatever report was being given. Luke looked out of the viewport, thoroughly enjoying his first glance into space for a week. There were TIEs flying around, probably docking from what he could see, and another Star Destroyer was visible in the distance. Stars blinked at him from every direction. When Luke glanced downward however, he got a huge shock.

They were approaching above Coruscant. He'd seen the planet before on the holovid news or datapads, but this was the first time he'd ever seen it for real. Its surface truly was a sight to behold; streaked with sparkling, straight and curved lines and dots alike, all arranged into one gigantic city. It really was the bright centre of the universe. Ships of every different kind were approaching and leaving its atmosphere and Luke watched, mesmerized, as their own Destroyer descended ever closer.

" _Luke_." Came a voice from behind, startling him. Judging by his father's tone, it hadn't been the first time he'd called him over. Realizing he was pressed against the transparisteel in an attempt to get the best view possible, Luke quickly stepped back to join Vader and his array of officers. Once he was still, back at his father's side, the latter spoke again. "I want you to hear this; it might interest you." Luke very much doubted it, but listened anyway.

"As I was saying," the officer started, glancing nervously at Vader, "the _Millennium Falcon_ has been traced back to an area close to Sullust, where we believe the rebels may have set up a new base. Furthermore, several ships from the fleet we deployed two weeks ago have returned; the rebel shipyards in the Vergesso Asteroids have been successfully destroyed. As per your orders, the rebel pilots captured on Hoth are still in custody and are ready for you to interrogate as soon as you have the time."

"Very well commander, you may return to your station." Vader said and the man bowed before leaving. Luke was staring at his feet, trying not to get angry. He knew Vader had asked him to come and listen to this report to test his resolve, and he wasn't about to prove him right. He let his gaze wander a little. Some officers had been staring at him, but they quickly looked away and pretended to be busy with some datapads as soon as Luke met their eyes. Was everybody really that scared of the fact that Vader had an apprentice? Luke was starting to feel very inadequate.

He longed to stare the admiral in his stupid little Imperial face and tell him he was part of the rebellion and disagreed with everything that was going on here, but knew he shouldn’t. Even as this thought crossed his mind, he felt that familiar presence brush against him, warning him to stay put. He suddenly became aware that everybody had stopped talking, and that he was now standing alone with Vader, who gestured for him to follow.

They crossed the bridge over to a door that led onto a railing, which passed over a huge hangar bay full of shuttles and TIEs. Luke couldn't help but gaze in awe at the sheer size and activity of the hangar. He'd never seen something so immense or so many ships at once. It made the rebellion look kind of pathetic in fact, Luke reflected. A moment later he felt a horrible twinge of guilt.

He followed Vader onto a small lift, which took them down hangar-level and trailed behind as they approached a large, impressive-looking shuttle. The reason for his sudden wariness was the fact that at least fifty stormtroopers had been aligned in perfect square ranks in front of the shuttle to see them depart. They were all to attention, and holding blasters. Every one of his instincts screamed at Luke to run for his life, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and walked calmly behind his father.

They boarded the shuttle, and as soon as the landing ramp was retreated and the door closed, Luke relaxed, letting his shoulders slump. He took a seat in the cockpit next to Vader, who immediately started firing up the controls. Luke felt the familiar lurch as they blasted off from the hangar into space, and gave a weary sigh. As soon as they were in the silence of space, an awkward mood settled into the cockpit. Vader's respirator was the only sound, and it kept Luke slightly on edge as he stared out the window and fiddled with his fingers.

"You did relatively well." Vader finally said, and Luke turned his head to look at him. "You will continue to act as such when we are at the palace, too. The Emperor is not on Imperial Centre at the moment, which will give us time to prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Luke asked before he could stop himself, but Vader ignored him and continued speaking as though he had not.

"We shall begin your training shortly after arrival, but I must first lay down some rules. During our stay on Coruscant, you will be assigned quarters adjacent to my own and you will stay in those quarters unless I give you permission to accompany me elsewhere. You will be under constant supervision and would do well to remember this fact. It is of capital importance that your true identity be kept a secret, so you shall be stripped of your name." Vader glanced at Luke momentarily before resuming his piloting and must have seen the frown this last order had caused.

"You’ll keep Luke, but Skywalker would instantly alert the Emperor to your identity. The story will be that I discovered you during a raid on the junkyard planet of Raxus Prime and took you in, freeing you from some slavers who were using you along with some other children for cheap labour. You are an orphan and grew up on Tatooine. Can you remember all this?"

"Yes." Luke answered automatically, though he was a little confused. "I actually did grow up on Tatooine."

"I know. The Emperor should not be suspicious of this fact if all goes well."

"Why would he be suspicious?" Luke asked, even more confused.

"Never mind that for now. You will have to meet with the Emperor eventually, so concentrate on sticking to this story. If everything goes according to plan, I will be allowed to train you. The lightsaber I retrieved from you can never be yours again – the Emperor would recognize it. You will have to use a spare one of mine until you are capable of making one for yourself."

Luke thought this over carefully. He would be allowed a lightsaber again soon if Vader trusted him enough. He would surely have to work harder for it this time. They fell into silence again, and Luke returned to watching the surface of Coruscant getting closer by the minute. He was starting to see the outline of some of the bigger buildings. Suddenly, he thought of something. He hesitated for a moment whether or not to say it, but finally decided it couldn't hurt.

"I already am a lieutenant, you know. Lieutenant-Commander Skywalker." He said, rather absentmindedly, as this caused memories of all kind to rush to the front of his mind. He wondered if his father would be impressed. To his surprise though, he felt Vader's anger lash out towards him.

" _This_ is exactly the kind of thing you must work to erase from the front of your mind, young one. If the Emperor catches even a glimmer of these thoughts, you'll be dead before you can say 'have mercy'. And believe me, the Emperor has none."

"How am I supposed to do that? Nobody can control what kind of thoughts go through your brain… If I tell you not to think of a bantha, what are you going to think about?" Luke realized he was arguing and being a little too casual with this man he'd only just begun to accept was his father, and quickly shut up before he said anything else. Vader was silent for a few moments, probably for the same reasons as Luke, before he spoke again. This time his voice was a lot calmer.

"I shall teach you how, young one. For now, concentrate on figuring some of these things out on your own."

"Will you please stop calling me that?" Luke asked moodily, turning away to face out the window again.

"What would you prefer?" Vader shot back, his voice gritted.

"Luke. Or maybe 'son'; you've called me that a few times before. 'Young one' makes me feel so diminutive…"

"I think it is quite representative of you then." Vader replied, a hint of amusement beneath his brass tones. Luke didn't trust himself to answer, so he was silent until they landed.

It was early morning as far as he could tell from the slowly brightening horizon. Even so, ships occupied traffic lanes like there was somewhere important everybody had to be at, and bright lights shimmered from every building in sight. As their shuttle approached the landing pad, Luke pressed his forehead against the viewport to see what was below and instantly gaped; there was no visible ground at all down there, just dense atmosphere. He looked away quickly and instead stared beyond the landing pad. He felt a jolt as he recognized the Imperial Palace.

He remembered it from watching the Holonet news; who in the galaxy didn't know what the palace looked like? It was the embodiment of splendour and intricateness, but also gave off an air of warning. A symbol of the Emperor's iron grip on the universe. Their shuttle landed with a thud, which Luke felt through his legs, and Vader shut off the controls.

"Come," he said, "and try to look more focused." Luke stood up to follow, thinking briefly that he had no idea what that even meant, to look _more focused_. Nevertheless, he tried to keep a better posture like he'd been told to before and braced himself as he walked down the ramp behind Vader. As he'd suspected, hundreds of stormtroopers had been assembled in ranks to greet them in front of the palace. Vader marched past them all apparently unaffected, but Luke was a little less used to this treatment. Once again, he felt a jolt of guilt inside as he wondered what his friends would think of him if they could see where he was right now.

More troopers were lined along the corridors when they first entered the palace, making Luke feel quite wary again. Vader had said he would be under constant supervision, but this was getting to be a bit much; if stormtroopers were going to be looking at him from every corner everywhere he went, it would really get on his nerves. He did realize of course that being on Coruscant meant no escape was possible. If his Death Star escape had been a longshot, this would be pure folly.

They mounted lifts and walked down many other corridors, which only got more majestic as they escalated the palace. Luke glared at a particularly large statue of the Emperor at the end of one of the corridors as they passed it; looking at it made him feel worse than anything he had seen today. He could only imagine what the real man would be like. Vader had stated that their meeting would be soon enough, but that was vague. Luke wished he’d be straightforward with him for once.

As they arrived in front of the statue they turned left and now faced a set of immense golden doors, flanked by two Imperial guards. Luke stared at their long, red masks and felt a little uncomfortable. He was visited by the ridiculous idea that they could sense his deepest emotions, and knew what he truly was. That was probably what they were meant to do though; to look intimidating as they guarded the palace, but Luke still thought they were too creepy for his liking. Then again, his father was Darth Vader, so being creepy was part of his heritage he supposed.

That last thought made him smirk, and he tried to forget it as he followed Vader through the doors. They arrived into a corridor quite unlike all the previous ones. This one was darkly lit and looked sinister, rather like the corridors on the _Executor_. And as if he hadn't guessed it, Vader thought to explain it to him; "This is the west wing of the palace where my private chambers are located, and where you will be spending most of your time."

Luke stopped himself short of asking if he was required to wear a creepy mask to be allowed to live here. Instead, he just nodded. Vader stopped him in front of one of the many doors and opened it with a code on a screen. Inside was a very grand room with a window looking on the busy skyscape of Coruscant, a large bed and lots of slick black furniture. There was only one door inside the room itself, which, as Luke correctly guessed, led to a refresher. It was also large, with two sinks and black and gold tiles decorating the walls. Luke couldn't wait to scratch off all those Imperial logos.

He returned to the main room and found his father still standing in the doorway. "There's a control panel on the wall here," Vader gestured to it. "You may use it to call for food whenever you wish. This door will remain locked from the outside at all times, and all the other rooms in this wing are off-limits. The window is breakable, but there are no railings on the side of the building and the resulting fall would surely kill you. Is all this information clear?"

"Yes." Luke responded, biting back a yawn.

"Good. You will join me for a meeting I must attend at sixteen-hundred this afternoon, so I suggest you get those injuries of yours cleaned up. You might also want to take another shower; you smell like a tusken raider."

Luke was taken aback by the Tatooine reference, but ultimately decided to dismiss it. If Vader was trying to make him feel more at home, it wasn't really working. "Wait… What time is it right now?" He asked wearily. This time he had to stifle a yawn he wasn't able to ignore anymore.

"It is currently oh-six-hundred. You have been living on standard Coruscant time for the last week. Star Destroyers always keep it as their official time."

"I see." Luke said, suddenly understanding why he felt so tired. Apparently, he'd been awake for the major part of the past night.

"I'll request for your medic to come see you later today. If you need me, you need only reach out and call me."

"What do you mean… reach out?" Luke asked slowly. Instantly, he felt that dark presence in his mind again and realized it was Vader. Luke shook his head; "I can't do that. Nobody's ever shown me show."

"Luke," Vader said softly, "your presence is so bright when you are close like this that you need only think of me hard enough for it to work. Practise right now."

Still not quite sure what Vader meant, Luke closed his eyes and thought of the vast, dark mass of his father's presence in his mind, concentrating on how he felt the Force wrapping around him… "Stop." Said Vader and Luke opened his eyes. "You went slightly overboard, but I think you understand. Very well, I shall see you this afternoon."

"Wait!" Luke called out, "I thought you owed me a conversation about –" But before he could finish speaking, his father had left and the door hissed behind him as it closed. With a sigh, Luke stretched and shuffled over to the bed. There'd be time for that later he supposed…

The bedspread here was also quite luxurious he noticed as he fell upon it. He then scrambled out of his military top and the boots and threw them as far away as he could. They hit the wall and fell in a mess next to the door. Luke smiled and yawned again, closing his eyes. He hadn't bothered to close the curtains or get under the covers, but the light flowing from the window against the black bed warmed his skin enough so he was comfortable. This whole room was actually quite comfortable, he reflected. His theory was that someone other than Vader must have decorated it.

Once again, he let his mind wander to his friends and the fate of the Alliance as he drifted off to sleep. What would happen now that he was gone? Vader may be his father, but once he realised how much information he could get about the rebels out of Luke, he might start acting more like the Sith Lord he was. And what of the Emperor; there was no guarantee the old man would not see Luke for what he truly was. Then Luke would simply die here. He’d still much rather die than give in to the dark side anyway – that much was certain.

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Things had never looked worse, Leia decided as she paced the crew quarters of the _Falcon_. She was awaiting a transmission from Mon Mothma which would clear them for landing on Sullust, and she was too impatient to do anything else while she waited. Not to mention guilty, angry and terrified. The incident on Bespin had been over a week ago, but it still felt like it had only just happened today. Considering the amount of sleep she'd had since, it might've been. As always, Han had tried reassuring her, but it did about as much good as if Threepio had tried befriending the smuggler. The words just didn't seem to sink in or make any difference.

' _Luke'll be fine…' The smuggler had said, 'Remember the Death Star? We though he was dead for sure then, didn't we? Remember that time with the mission on Aridus? The Kid has a knack for getting out of bad situations. He's got a knack for getting into them, I'll give you that one, but he always seems to find a way to –'_

Leia had shoved him away at that point. Han had shot a significant look at Chewie before turning back to pilot the _Falcon_. It wasn't that Han's optimism annoyed Leia, far from it. She was just annoyed that she couldn't share it. Whatever anyone said, the chances seemed slim for Luke. Captured on board the Death Star when Vader didn't even know who Luke was… that was one thing. Captured on board the _Executor_ , when Vader knew and after Luke had become such a great enemy of the Empire… Well, that was something else entirely. Every time Leia's thoughts strayed to Luke she was overcome by a guilt. They had all escaped together, once again, and Luke was in the hands of the most evil man in the galaxy.

There was no doubt about it; Luke was sitting in a cold cell right now, tortured, malnourished, wondering why they wouldn't come save him. Leia felt responsible. They should never have left Bespin without him. Boba Fett's ship had already been incapacitated, Vader was unaware they had escaped their guards… Shooting down a few more stormtroopers in order to get back to Luke shouldn't have been that hard. Instead, they'd all hurried onto the _Falcon_ and saved themselves at Luke's expense.

Well, they'd find him now, Leia thought. As soon as they were reunited with the Alliance, they could plan a rescue. They simply had to; Luke was such an irreplaceable asset for them, and probably the best friend Leia had ever had. Ever since they'd met, Leia knew Luke had been very attracted to her. Maybe she was too, but it felt weird sometimes. It still felt weird that they'd kissed.

Han, on the other hand… There had been that kiss before Bespin, and then when he was about to be encased in carbonite... But he was so irresponsible sometimes, which grated on Leia's royal nerves. When she was with Han, she couldn't help but imagine what her parents would think of him, which led her to think of Alderaan, which put her in an even worse mood. Joining the Alliance had never been a choice she'd regretted, but it did seem to bring about more disappointment and tragedy in her life than success.

And so she thought back to Luke again, hoping that he wasn't in too much pain, that Vader wasn't been 'too rough' on him, as Luke would surely put it.

Leia smiled despite her bad mood, and shook her head. Even when he was gone Luke managed to make her smile when she was feeling down. She finally felt calm enough to sit, and even as she did, she heard Han's voice coming from the cockpit; he was receiving a transmission. There was no mistaking Mon's voice on the other end. With a sigh, Leia stood back up again and climbed the ladder to join he, Lando and Chewie in the cockpit.

The conversation was already over by the time Leia arrived, but Han filled her in. "We're clear to land. I don't know why it took them so long. Apparently, some Star Destroyer was detected a few parsecs away two days ago and they got all paranoid, but it's fine now…" He suddenly looked at her a little warily and turned to look back at the controls. Leia supposed he was concerned she might start snapping at him again. It had happened quite often in the past week. Lack of sleep and being worried to death tended to do that to you.

Chewie barked something, and Han nodded. Leia slumped down into an empty seat. Sullust was coming up below them, its gassy green surface rising in clouds. Leia already had a bad feeling about this place, but she tried to convince herself it was nothing. So many bad things had happened recently, so it was only natural for her to feel something should go wrong.

The _Falcon_ landed inside a cave, and Han handed everyone a gas mask.

"The air's toxic here," he said, "but these should sustain us 'till we enter the underground base. Just be quick." Chewie growled in agreement and they all hurried outside to where some pilots were awaiting them near a heavily bolted door, wearing similar masks. One of them stepped forward as soon as they approached.

"Where's Luke? He disappeared after Hoth but we thought he might be with you." He said, and Leia recognized Wedge's voice. Before she could answer however, Han pushed her forward a little. "C'mon let's get inside…" She obliged, not wanting to be the one to have to break the news to Luke's friend. It quickly became apparent once they entered the door that this was some kind of poorly put together bunker. They descended some stairs and had to go through two other sets of doors before it was safe to remove their masks.

Leia noticed Wedge was still looking at her in anticipation of an answer, but she couldn't find it in herself to say it. They were led in silence to a room where Mon Mothma was waiting for them. Admiral Ackbar and his crew were also present, as well as pilots from Luke's squadron and others. Mon advanced on them quickly.

"Leia!" She embraced her warmly, before grabbing her by the shoulders as she checked for any injuries. "What happened? You took so long to contact us, we were starting to fear the worst." Mon's words did nothing to calm Leia. She glanced over at Han for support, but he was busy greeting some of the pilots.

"I'm afraid we do have some bad news, Mon." Leia said, and the whole room fell silent. She took it as a cue to start telling the story. "After Hoth we noticed the _Millennium Falcon_ 's hyperdrive was damaged, so we flew to Bespin; Han has a friend there." She paused to introduce Lando, "This is Lando Calrissian. Unfortunately, the Empire ambushed us. It seems they had a bounty hunter on our trail and were alerted to our trajectory. Darth Vader was there himself… He was setting a trap for Luke. Somehow, he knew Luke would come and try to rescue us."

Ackbar spoke up when Leia stopped there. "Well, it was good of him to do so regardless was it not? You are all safe."

"Yes, but Luke was captured." This was all she needed to say. People’s expressions were grim all around the room now.

"We have to save him." Wedge Antilles said firmly. "He'd do the same for any of us. He already _has_ done the same for most of us!"

Mon shook her head; "I'm afraid it's not that simple, Commander Antilles. Luke is just one pilot. There is too much at stake." Wedge hung his head at this and Leia wished she could do the same. This had been the answer she was afraid of. But she knew it was true; there really _was_ so much at stake already. If they risked saving Luke, they might all die in the process and then they wouldn't be any better.

Bitterly, Leia wondered what Luke would do if he were here and they were discussing whether or not to save Han, or her, or even Artoo. Even as she pondered this, she felt Artoo squirm a little beside her, emitting a sad series of beeps. Even the astromech understood how unfair this was. But nobody was bold enough to voice it –

"Hang on a second!" Called a voice from the corner of the room. _Of course_ Han had to weigh in. "I don't care what all of you say, I'm goin' after the Kid. He once jumped down a twenty-foot crater, with no regard for his own life, because he thought I'd broken my leg! Luke faced _Darth Vader_ and told him to get lost –"

"That's not _quite_ what he said, Han." Leia interjected, but the Corellian ignored her.

"That crazy Kid's risked his neck to save us more times than I can count. So to hell with your official decision, I'm taking the _Falcon_ out to find Luke within the next hour and anyone who thinks the Kid is worth it is welcome to join me!" Han's words seemed to get some of the pilots excited, but Mon quickly put an end to that.

"Oh, and getting yourselves killed will solve things you think? If Vader's got a hold of Luke, he won't let him live very long. I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but we have to assume commander Skywalker has already been –"

"DON'T say it!" Han interrupted. "Not Luke. Never."

"Excuse me?" Mon said, her voice a little harsher now, "Captain Solo, I think you forget yourself."

Han seemed to realise what he was doing, and squared his jaw. "Sorry, ma'am. But I'm still leaving. I'm not part of any squad, so you can't hold me here."

"The _Millennium Falcon_ is more useful to us than you realize, Captain Solo." Ackbar suddenly said. "You are right in saying that we can't stop you, but we'd be sad to see you go. Please reconsider. At least stay here for the debriefing, before making a decision." Han hesitated for only a second before shrugging and emitting a soft 'All right then'. The wise admiral's words had quite an effect on him it seemed. Leia leaned over to touch his arm, and was pleasantly surprised when one corner of Han's lips twitched into a half-hearted smile.

They moved to a bigger conference room for the debriefing, which took a much longer time than usual. They had sustained so much damage from the battle on Hoth that there was much to report, and many deaths to announce. Admiral Ackbar's ship was ready to take them all into orbit again; the decision not to keep another static base seemed to be unanimous. They couldn't afford another disaster like the one on Hoth. _Home One_ would from this day forth act as their mobile base of operations. It was a step down, but better than waiting around feeling sorry for themselves.

Some spies sent to find out what the Empire's next move might be still had not returned, so it would take a while before their own next moves could be planned. The _Executor_ was rumoured to have returned to Coruscant, which meant there was one less shark in the water. However, to Leia, this meant only one thing: Luke was with Vader on Coruscant now. She shuddered to think what this could mean. Surely, their friend had been sneaked into the capital subtly, as so not to attract media attention. If somebody recognized him as a rebel, he'd be executed for sure. This whole situation made no sense in Leia's opinion. Why would Vader be bothered keeping Luke alive? It wasn't like he would ever serve him. Luke was entirely loyal to his friends, if his past actions were worth anything.

The meeting was almost over now, and Leia glanced sideways at Han, who had his arms crossed and was looking very impatient. There was no doubt that none of this had changed his mind about rescuing Luke. The Corellian looked as determined as always. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice Leia watching him.

Someone's voice disturbed her musings just as the meeting was adjourned. Wedge was standing in a corner near the only Holonet receiver they had at this base and was frantically pushing the controls to raise the volume. "I think you'd better all come take a look at this!"

Leia followed Han around the table and shifted around some people until she had a clear view of the holo, listening intently to the heavy Coruscanti accented voice speaking from the receiver; _'– Vader returned to Coruscant on board his personal shuttle for the first time in nearly three years yesterday morning. He was later seen attending a war meeting at the former Imperial Senate; the contents of this meeting remain unknown and whether or not it had anything to do with the Rebel attack on Hoth can only be speculated upon. Lord Vader was not available for comment, but was spotted leaving the area accompanied by several guards. He has since returned to the Palace, presumably awaiting further orders from the Emperor regarding the Rebel situation. In case you missed our report on this, a special documentary will be airing tonight at nineteen-hundred, Coruscant time. In other news –'_

The images were of Vader, shot from above or from very far away, marching down a street and the stairs of the Palace, indeed accompanied by a heavy guard. As far as Leia could see, there was nothing even remotely interesting about this report, and she was first to voice her opinion as Wedge pushed the volume back down. "What a load of rubbish! The _Rebel_ attack on Hoth… as if the Empire were the ones taken by surprise. Honestly –"

"No," Wedge said seriously, pointing at the screen. "The images will play around again, this time watch them closely. I'll point it out, look… Wait for it…" As Wedge had stated, they didn't have to wait more than two minutes for the report to come back around the loop again. This time the volume was kept down and Leia stared at the images again.

"Look!" Wedge said, pointing at the projection, "I knew I wasn't imagining things! Look at the person walking directly behind Vader…"

"Pause the image, idiot." One of the other pilots said wearily. Fumbling with the controls, Wedge waited for a good image to come up and hit pause. Leia squinted, and just as she realized what Wedge meant, Han whispered next to her; "Luke…"

She stared at the person in the frozen image. It was hazy, and the figure was barely six or seven centimetres, but there was no mistaking that mop of blond hair, and that face did look a lot like Luke's. She'd just been too busy staring at Vader to notice him. But what in the galaxy was Luke doing?

Han was the one who voiced everyone's concern. "That sure looks like Luke, but why in hells is he wearing an Imperial suit and following Darth Vader around like a shadow?"

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	8. Chapter 8

It was nearing night time when Luke heard the door to his room open. He sat up in panic, fumbling with the bed sheets to cover himself, hoping it wasn’t his father. Luke was very annoyed at him at the moment. Earlier in the day he'd taken a shower and cleaned up his scratches and bruises as best he could, dressed in the military uniform and had been ready to accompany Vader to wherever he was needed at sixteen-hundred.

First of all, the meeting had been exceedingly boring. Luke hadn't done much except shake a few people's hands and stand in the corner the whole time. Then, when it was over, Vader had forbidden him from talking all the way back to his room. At this rate, Luke was never going to know anything about his mother.

However, that was not his priority right now. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he saw that the person was not his father. It wasn't even a stormtrooper. And Luke was certainly glad to see a familiar face. "Hello Harv." He greeted as he sat up and reached for his trousers.

The medic seemed uneasy in his presence and didn't reply apart from a short, formal nod. He waited until Luke was all dressed before placing his briefcase at the foot of the bed.

"How are we feeling today, Luke?" Harv asked in a short voice.

"Good, but I wish you'd drop the 'serious doctor' part. It doesn't really suit you." Luke made this suggestion friendlily enough, but it went ignored. Harv went around the bed, drew a stool from the corner, and immediately started to inspect Luke's new hand. He seemed to decide everything was well because he soon moved to the bruises on Luke's face. Luke twitched under his touch, but didn't complain. It even felt good once Harv placed some much-needed bacta patches over his inflamed skin.

"Well, you appear to have cracked a cheekbone. It has been left untreated for over a week, but if you keep a bacta patch on it for the next few days it should clear up fine. Do you have any more discomforts?"

Luke blinked, and moved his arms and torso around, trying to figure out if there was any pain somewhere. "I don't think so… Maybe in my stomach, but I didn’t eaten for so long, I guess it's normal."

"Well, were you hit in your stomach recently?"

"Nope. I did have some internal injuries two years ago due to an injury then, though."

"Caused by?" Harv asked professionally, taking out a pad and a stylus.

"Vader kicked me in the stomach." Luke answered. He saw Harv pause, but the medic chose not to comment.

"Well, it should be fine now in any case. Tell me at once if you suffer any discomfort." Harv glanced briefly at him, finally meeting his eyes, but it didn't last long before he started to gather up his equipment.

"Wait." Luke said and Harv obeyed, though he didn't seem to want to. "Can I ask you something?"

"I suppose." Harv answered warily.

"Why do you get so uptight when I talk about Vader?"

Harv hesitated. He certainly was silent for a long while, and finally he met Luke's gaze again as he answered. "It's because you refer to him so casually. _Lord_ Vader is my boss; I've been his personal physician on board the _Executor_ for two years now. I have seen him mercilessly execute countless people for trivial mistakes or the slightest show of incompetence, yet you, a young man who appears out of nowhere…" He seemed incapable of finishing his thought, so he trailed away. But Luke knew what he meant.

"It's not the same." He explained to Harv. "Vader won't kill me. He's… I'm… I'm his apprentice." Luke winced even as he said it; it sounded so final when he said it out loud like that. Harv gave him a look that was plainly terrified and started to stand up, obviously keen to leave, and Luke couldn't help but ask; "See, that's the kind of reaction I mean! Why is everyone so… afraid of _me_? I’m not scary."

It was true. Even this afternoon at the war meeting, it had happened again. Luke had done nothing but remain standing silently behind Vader's chair the entire time, but he had caught people around the table shooting wary glances and anxious stares at him. It baffled him completely; Vader may say he was his apprentice, but he was still a just a kid from Tatooine who had only recently become an adult, and was covered in bruises.

"I don't think you understand what people see when they look at you." Harv said suddenly, sitting back down. He looked pale, but less likely to faint as earlier. "Most people are, I'll admit, terrified of Lord Vader. He kills people without a second's though, with barely a move of his hand. He _never_ keeps prisoners longer than a few days. People see you walking around with all those injuries, it suggests he beat you, and you resisted. That you managed to stay alive under his means of torture… Only someone incredibly powerful could resist Lord Vader and live to tell the tale."

Luke was stunned. "There's no tale to tell." He said, "Vader didn't torture me at all! Well, he did leave me in a cold cell for days and days, but that was only because I refused to eat."

Harv shook his head; "This is exactly what I mean. You're so blatant about it." He surveyed Luke for a long moment, before saying. "I saw you on the news this afternoon."

"What?"

"Oh it wasn't about you, per se. It was just footage of Lord Vader leaving the Palace – and you were with him. But I don't think anybody really noticed you standing in his shadow."

"Well, he does have a pretty big shadow." Luke said, grinning despite himself. Harv allowed himself a smirk. But then, Luke thought of something; "Do you know how far news on Coruscant is broadcast? In other systems I mean."

Apart from frowning slightly, Harv didn't seem to mind this question. "Probably as far as the beginnings of the Outer Rim, I imagine. Not everywhere, but certainly most places."

Luke bit his lip and stared at the floor, thinking. Was there any chance his friends had watched the news? Vader returning to Coruscant for the first time in years would be big news for the Alliance, because it meant one less enemy out there in space. But had they actually watched the footage and if so, would they recognize Luke? Walking around unrestrained behind Darth Vader wearing a military uniform had to be pretty incriminating. Is this what Vader had meant when he'd said that Han and Leia were no longer his friends?

_No_ , he warned himself as he felt a pang in his gut. A cold feeling had started to spread through his limbs. _Don't go there; it will only bring you pain._

"Are you alright?" Harv suddenly asked, providing a distraction for Luke from his dark feelings.

"Oh, yeah… I just… Listen, Harv, sorry if I've been making you feel uncomfortable. I just don't have anyone to talk to."

"What about Lord Vader?" Harv supplied innocently enough, making Luke smirk.

"Except for him."

"I don't think it's wise for me to, um, discuss matters unrelated to medicine with you. Strictly professional environment, you know…"

"I won’t tell Vader." Luke said with a smile, which Harv barely managed to return.

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A steady stream of pressurized air began to flow inside the hyperbaric chamber just as Vader's mask was lifted from his face. He'd so needed this today, after the pointless meeting with those officers. Vader imagined this feeling could be compared to that of sinking into a hot bath after a particularly tiresome day. He had no memory of ever doing so, and it was quite out of the question for him now, but people always said it was relaxing. Vader for one had no love for warm liquids of any kind after Mustafar.

He steered himself away from these dangerous thoughts quickly; he was here to relax. The impending conversation with his son was looming on him and it was quite uninviting. After two solid years of wishing his son could be by his side, he finally got his wish, but now he was a little apprehensive. Up until now he'd only imagined his son as, well… _his son_. A boy with no real personality whom could easily be bended to Vader's will. However, it quickly became apparent that Luke was not like that at all.

Just the fact that he was referring to the boy as 'Luke' in his mind proved there was something more to it. The more time he spent with him, the more he recognized himself… _No, not me. It is Anakin I see._

The boy had immense potential. Being around him, and all that untapped power just waiting to be moulded into something more, was nothing short of intoxicating. Strange, Vader had the distinct impression he'd once referred to someone else's presence as _intoxicating_ … Ah well never mind that now; there were still pressing matters to attend to. Vader may not feel like confronting his son so soon again, but his master would be returning any day now. Time was lacking and their days were numbered. If Luke did not learn to conceal his true self behind a screen Palpatine could not penetrate, as Vader did, he would not live very long.

Vader would be forgiven for choosing a new apprentice on such short notice as soon as Palpatine sensed the boy's potential. He would not, however, be forgiven for concealing Anakin Skywalker's son from him. That was one thing Vader knew the Emperor would not tolerate. As much as the man thrived on lies and deception, his patience was short when such dishonesty came from those around him. He was taking an awful risk, but if it could grant him control over his son, it would be worthwhile.

Realising he'd been sitting in his chamber for close to twenty minutes and he hadn't yet done a single second of meditation, Vader sighed. If he couldn't clear his mind now, he might as well leave it and get his meeting with his son over with. He knew the boy was anxious to have that conversation Vader had bribed him with him. Just as well; Vader would be less likely to let anything slip if he was feeling deprived of his meditation.

He punched in the controls for his mask and helmet to be reattached. Once this was done he stood and was relieved to find that he was feeling a little less tense. With a content sigh, he left his chamber and crossed the hallway to Luke's.

It dawned on him that he should have knocked only once he'd barged in. But Luke was currently lying flat on his back upon the bed and did not appear to be up to anything except staring at the ceiling. Vader let the door slide shut behind him and took a few steps until he was in the middle of the room.

"I believe I asked you to stand up when in my presence." He said to the boy, surprised that his voice already sounded short. This was not going to be a very long discussion.

"I don't want to speak to you." Luke answered, still watching the ceiling. Vader growled inwardly, hoping his silence would be more threatening than anything else he could say. The boy continued to talk; "You ignored me all afternoon when I followed you to that stupid meeting. Why should I be in a good mood with you now?"

Vader briefly searched around for something to respond, but Luke had readily provided. "I see you share my opinion on that meeting." He said, watching in satisfaction as Luke's head shot up to look at him. The boy seemed to hesitate, but he finally decided to sit up, resting his back upon the headboard.

"Can I remain seated?" He asked suddenly.

Vader paused, but gave in; "You may."

"Can't you sit down too? I feel weird having a discussion when the other person is standing up. Don't you get tired standing all day?"

Vader sighed. "No. And what's this about a discussion? I thought you'd decided you weren't speaking to me. You're doing a very poor job of it at the moment."

"You're being impossible." Luke said, but his face wasn't entirely serious. Vader was slightly put off by his attitude for a moment, and had to readjust himself before speaking again.

"Now… I think, as you put it, I 'owe you a conversation'?"

Luke's eyes seemed to light up. "Sure! There's so much stuff I want to ask."

"I said _one_ conversation, young one. There is no time for any life stories."

"Okay fine, just answer me already. You know what I want to ask. Tell me about my mother."

Of course Vader knew this would be the subject of discussion, but he hadn't quite been ready for it in that moment. He finally settled on saying; "Her name was Padmé Naberrie."

Luke was watching him eagerly, but when he realised that was all Vader was going to say, his face dropped. "That's it? I ask you about the woman who gave birth to me, and you say her name was Padmé Naberrie? Uncle Owen could have told me that much."

"Did he?" Vader asked, sceptical.

"Of course not," Luke snorted, "Do you know how hard it was just to get _your_ name out of him? And he told me you were a navigator on a freight cruiser, mind you, so he couldn't even be truthful about that much. Look, I know maybe you don't want to think about her, but you did promise me."

"I promised nothing. I shall tell you about your mother, if you let me, but on a condition –"

"This was already a bargain!" Luke interrupted, "You can't add anything on top of that."

"I believe I am in the right position to be adding things to our bargain, quite unlike you. Now, I will tell you about your mother if you agree to a training session with me first thing tomorrow morning. Not only that, but you will do your best to assimilate my teachings and truly practice what I show you. Understood?" This condition seemed very difficult for Luke to accept. Vader saw his face tense in concentration, and felt the duelling emotions going on through the Force. The boy was conflicted between his fear of the dark side and his desire to know about his mother. Love and hate; two emotions Vader had had quite enough of for at least ten lifetimes.

At last, his son nodded so Vader began to speak, feeling unable to detach himself from the persona of Anakin Skywalker as he did so. "Padmé was born a Naberrie on Naboo and became Queen there when she was fourteen, where she took on the name Amidala. That's how old she was when we met. I was nine years old at the time, but already we had a strong connection. We did not see each other again until many years later, when we were old enough to marry. She was a senator and I… a Jedi. Our union was kept secret during the entire duration of the Clone Wars, but shortly before the war ended, Padmé announced to me that she was pregnant. She died several months later during the Jedi plague and I believed you both to be dead."

Luke appeared to be taking this all in slowly. His eyes were wide. "That doesn't tell me much about who she was though." He stated.

Vader sighed again, but obliged; "She was a very strong-willed individual; passionate and true to her beliefs. She helped avert catastrophes on many planets during the Clone Wars and was always ready to do her utmost if she believed lives could be saved. She was kind and compassionate, and probably the most genuine person I have ever known." To his greatest embarrassment, Vader realised his voice sounded like it had cracked. The last thing he needed was for Luke to think he still held strong feelings towards all this.

To further his humiliation, Luke said; "You must have really loved her." He sounded honest, and wasn't trying to humiliate him on purpose. Vader was surprised he couldn't sense even a hint of deceit coming from his son.

"Luke. You must understand that any feelings I may have had for your mother are overshadowed by those that make me what I am today: a Sith."

To his dismay, Luke's eyes did not lose any of their shine. "Did you love her?"

Before he could stop himself, Vader answered; "Yes. More than you could ever comprehend." When Luke beamed at him, Vader tried, in vain, to rectify this. "Anakin Skywalker loved your mother with his very soul. _I_ am a Sith Lord. The dark side does not love. The dark side does not care."

"Everybody who has tried to explain this to me has failed." Luke said, shaking his head so his blond hair flopped about. "Anakin was my father. You are my father. You're both the same to me."

"Then you fail to understand something that is a crucial part of your training, young one. Being a Sith does not mean becoming somebody else entirely, only finding a part of yourself that was hidden deep within. It means fulfilling your destiny by seizing every ounce of power which lies dormant in you. Power only the dark side can help you see."

"I don't want to lose sight of who I really am."

"You won't lose sight, Luke, only better understand. There is a large difference."

Luke was silent as he looked down at his hands. Vader probed at the boy's mind gently, but found it wasn't so easy to figure out what he was thinking.

"Are you quite done asking about your mother?"

"I think so. Just one last thing; what made you turn to the dark side?"

"Nothing _made_ me do it Luke. It was inside me all along and I was foolish not to give in to it before. If I had listened to its calling before, your mother might be here with us today. You too can wield that power, as you will learn in time." He watched with satisfaction yet again as Luke nodded briefly. Maybe his teachings would get through to the boy after all, and more quickly than he'd thought.

"I must leave now. Is there anything you require?" Vader said this as he turned slightly towards the door. He saw his son look sad for a moment, but it was gone like a trick of the light as soon as he paused to investigate it further.

"No. See you tomorrow." Luke said in a small voice and Vader left before the emotion radiating from his son got the better of him.

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Curled up into a ball in the middle of his bed, Luke was in deep thought. His father had only just left the room, but it felt like his dark presence was still with him. Their conversation hadn't gone exactly like he'd thought it would. He'd desperately wanted to know about his mother, and he'd had his wish, but it had only served to raise further questions about his father. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but the confirmation that his mother and father had been in love – even married – was startling. And until now, Luke had been hanging on to the thought that his father had never truly ceased to be Anakin Skywalker. It had reassured him whenever he was confronted with the man. But it was becoming increasingly obvious that he might be wrong.

Luke felt something squirm in his gut as he thought of tomorrow morning. He'd agreed to train with Vader and make efforts to understand his lessons. No doubt would he be once again confronted with the dark side. Even as these thoughts crossed his mind he could feel its manifestation inside him, building up within his core.

He had to admit that all this was looking to be a very bad idea. Such a bad idea in fact that he was sure he must really be crazy. Nobody in their right capacity would agree to any of this… But Luke had craved a father since before he could remember and somehow, no matter how evil the man got, he always would. And he was the only one who had any chance of getting through to him.

Perhaps that was senseless, but he knew something; his place was here. He had an important part to play in his father's life, he just didn't know what it was yet.

Luke suddenly noticed an unnatural light forming in the corner of his room, and he sat up warily. After a few moments, he recognized what shape the bluish haze had taken on. "What are you doing here, Ben?"

"So, you faced your father and failed." Obi-Wan said without preamble. He sounded like he was on the verge of lecturing him, which Luke did not appreciate.

"I know it was against yours and Yoda's wishes, but the Force has revealed something to me. I have something to do here. Something important." Luke said, slightly annoyed. Whenever Obi-Wan appeared, it never boded well.

His old master sighed deeply. "I cannot force you to do anything you do not want to Luke, but you must know what danger you are throwing yourself into. You are meant for great things, but I highly doubt the Force means for you to stay with Vader and the Emperor. They will force you to do terrible deeds."

"I think that's for me to decide isn't it?"

"The Force shall take you wherever it decides your place may be." Obi-Wan stated vaguely. His manner of explaining things was grating on Luke's nerves.

"Then my place is here, if the Force has brought me here. Listen Ben, I want to believe you. I wanted to believe you and Master Yoda when you told me those things about my father, but I think I can understand him –"

"He is feeding you lies. The lies of the Sith. Remember Yoda's teachings! Once you cross over to the dark side, it will control your destiny forever."

Luke groaned and rubbed at his temple. "I don't intend to join the Sith, Ben. And I wouldn't expect you to understand what my plans are. Just leave me be –" Luke trailed off, interrupted not by Obi-Wan, but by someone approaching outside his door. He sat very still, awaiting the inevitable. Obi-Wan stayed put and did not disappear. A moment later, the door opened and Vader stormed into the room.

"Who are you talking to?" He demanded.

Luke glanced to the corner where Ben had been standing, but he wasn't there anymore. He then looked back at his father. "Nobody. Myself. Everybody does that sometimes." He shrugged for good measure, casually. Vader was not fooled.

"I was informed by a guard, barely a minute ago, that you were seen talking to someone invisible. Do not forget there are security cameras in here. I have yet to view the holograms myself but I think it would be in your greatest interest to tell me who it was. If you wait for me to discover it by my own means, you shall be punished as well as this mystery person." Vader was looking around the room, clearly at a loss to how somebody could have been in here a minute ago, only to vanish into thin air.

Luke sighed, closing his eyes. "All right, for star's sake, I'll tell you. But you won't like it."

"I'm listening."

"It was Ben. Obi-Wan. I was talking with him through the Force." As he said this he cracked open an eye to watch Vader's reaction, but of course there was none visible because of the black mask.

"And he was talking back to you?" Vader asked in a dangerously low tone.

"Yes. It's been happening ever since you killed him."

"I see." Vader let pass at least five of his breathing cycles before speaking again; "Son, this is yet another example of dangerous behaviour which would alert the Emperor to your identity."

Luke frowned; "If this room is being holotaped, isn't it dangerous to even be having this conversation?"

"There are no recordings allowed while we both meet in here together. Otherwise, I review all the holograms myself every day and destroy them afterwards. The guard I have surveying you is extremely trustworthy, but depending on the nature of what has been said between you and _Obi-Wan_ , he may or may not have to be disposed of."

"You're not going to kill someone just because I…" Luke stopped in mid-sentence, thinking back at what exactly he had been saying to Obi-Wan. He realized, in a moment of horror, that he had mentioned master Yoda's name. "You… You can't see the recording of just now! It's… between Obi-Wan and I."

Vader gave a low chuckle. "I'm afraid that is out of the question. If anything, that makes it even more important." And with that, the Sith turned away to leave. Luke stood and rushed to the door to stop him, but was too late. The door hissed as it shut in his face and Luke sank to the floor miserably. Ben did not return, leaving Luke quite alone and in even greater trouble than before.

How could he be so stupid? Vader had told him he would be under constant supervision! He should have known that even saying the name Yoda would be suspicious. But talking to Obi-Wan, well that made it all ten times worse. He knew his father wouldn't be happy when he viewed those holos. He would surely demand to know where Yoda was. But Luke swore to the Force that he would never tell.

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Vader was still staring at the hologram once he finished playing the recording a second time. Behind him the security guard lay on the floor and gave a last gasp for air, but Vader ignored him. This information was huge. If Yoda was still alive, Palpatine would be pleased to at last know his location. He would order Vader to hunt down the elderly Jedi Master at once. But – it would also lead to difficult questions about Luke. If Luke was an orphan boy with no knowledge of the Force, as Palpatine was going to have to be made to believe, how could he know who Yoda was?

As much as it pained Vader, he simply could not go out hunting for Yoda. Doing so would surely alert his master.

This was all Obi-Wan's fault anyway, Vader reflected bitterly. How dare he appear before his son through the Force? The old man's last words suddenly had meaning; _'If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine…'_ But Kenobi was dead! He had no business interfering.

Vader stepped over the dead security guard, leaving the room. He must remember to appoint someone else for the job now…

When he returned to his son, the boy was sitting in the middle of the floor, holding his knees to his chest like a child. "What do you think you are doing?" Vader demanded, resisting the urge to aim a soft kick at him. "Get up at once. We have important things to talk about."

"I'll never tell you where he is." Luke snapped at him, staying on the floor. Vader heaved a sigh.

"You are far too emotional young one. Now get up or I will pull you to your feet. Is that what you want?"

Luke hastily scrambled up but kept his head down, refusing to meet his gaze. Vader impatiently pulled the boy's head up by the chin. "I will not ask you any questions regarding the whereabouts of Yoda. Now calm down."

Luke's eyes were wide and fearful, but these words calmed him, even though he clearly didn't understand. "I am itching to find him and give him what he deserves, trust me on that, but Palpatine must not find out that you know him. To him, you are an orphan boy with hardly any knowledge of the Force, whom I recovered on Raxus Prime. How would you explain the fact you know Yoda and Obi-Wan? This is the kind of information that you must work at keeping stowed away inside you. Am I clear?"

In an instant, Luke seemed immensely relieved. He nodded and Vader let go of his chin.

"Very well then. Now, I believe that's enough discussion for tonight. I expect you to be awake and alert for oh-seven-hundred tomorrow morning. Do not keep me waiting."

Luke didn't reply, so Vader understood it as his cue to leave. The boy had understood the warning, clearly. And he, Vader, was ready for some meditation, if only there were fewer distractions. Maybe now that Luke was going to bed he could have peace for at least a short while.

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	9. Chapter 9

 

A quarter to oh-seven-hundred was a horrible time to wake up, Luke thought as the alarm next to his bed screamed in his face. He hastily shut it off and wrapped himself back into the covers, only intending to snooze for two more minutes. The last time he could remember having to wake up this early had to be back on Tatooine, when helping Uncle Owen with the harvests. But back then Luke had always had Aunt Beru's delicious, warm pastries to wake up to. Right now he had a cold, dark room and a moody Sith Lord father to look forward to.

He groaned and pulled the covers over his head. Why did Vader have to keep all the rooms so cold? He'd have to remember to investigate if there was a way to control the temperature here, or at least in his room.

Suddenly, he jerked awake again and squinted at the time. He swore under his breath when he saw he had only five minutes left, and scrambled out of bed into his clothes. Once the ordeal of pulling on the uncomfortable Imperial uniform was done, Luke went to the refresher to glance at himself in the mirror. His tousled hair and bruised skin still made him look decidedly un-Imperial-like, so he was satisfied. He also noticed that he'd managed to rumple the sturdy Imperial jacket he was wearing.

Not a minute too soon, he felt his father’s presence approaching. With a sigh, he walked back into the bedroom and waited. It wasn't long until the door slid open and Vader stepped inside. Luke noticed he was holding a bundle of clothes.

"You will wear these during our training sessions for now." He said, handing Luke the clothing.

"Good morning to you too… Aw hells, couldn't you have told me that yesterday? Do you know how long it took to get all these buttons done?" Luke groaned, but took the new clothes anyway. His father was silent, but Luke suspected he might have been frowning at him. It was unnerving. "Wait here…" He said grumpily and shut himself in the fresher again.

Not wanting to keep his father waiting, and feeling too lazy to undo all those buttons anyway, Luke simply pulled the military top off and smiled when he heard some of the stiches snap. He then inspected the new clothes; they appeared to be robes, similar to those Obi-Wan had worn, but these were black and grey. They were made from fabric and leather in some places and were actually very comfortable. Black wasn’t really Luke’s colour, but he supposed there was no way he'd be getting anything else. Not if he made a habit of destroying his new clothes for that reason, at any rate.

He emerged from the fresher and found Vader standing in the same spot he'd been in before. Before he could speak, his father found yet another thing to reproach of him; "Your bed and your old clothes are a mess." With a sigh, Luke crossed the room and quickly made his bed, but left his destroyed military suit in the corner. It seemed to pass Vader's test, because he looked at Luke again now; "Have you eaten?"

"No."

"I hope I will not have to constantly remind you to eat, as well. There will be time later. Come, now." Vader said, turning on his heel in a swish of black cape. Luke grumbled to himself, but obeyed – he didn't want his father to be in a bad mood this morning. Or at the very least, he hoped he could have him in a slightly better mood than usual.

They walked in silence down the corridor to a lift, which took them still further down. The shadows in this part of the building looked unnatural; it was clear these walls had never been graced by daylight of any kind. Luke was beginning to suspect they must be underground by now, before remembering that this was Coruscant and 'underground' was probably a long way down.

They stepped into a new room, one which was equipped with several tall cabinets. Luke didn't want to know what was in them. Come to think of it, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to be here. The room was slightly larger than his own chamber upstairs (Luke noted, disturbed, that he was already referring to it as _his_ chamber) and like everywhere else in this part of the building, had dark greyish walls. The floor was hard and his footsteps echoed around him. Luke stepped to the middle of the room and turned to face Vader, who was still standing with his back to the door.

They stood there for a long minute; merely looking at each other while the measured, hollow sound of Vader's breathing cut the silence every few seconds. Luke didn't know what to think. The dark presence in his mind that had been tormenting him for two years now seemed stronger in this room. It was like a great, slumbering beast had suddenly shown signs of awakening, and Luke was waiting, on edge, to see if it would notice him when it did. He was terrified of this beast, but at the same time he was also mesmerized by the sheer power it projected, even while it was dormant.

He yearned to understand this power, maybe even to possess it, but he knew it was dangerous and that thought kept him at bay. But what if the presence – if the power – showed signs of good? Nothing was entirely black or white, Luke reflected, so why shouldn't he be able to connect with this darkness while retaining part of the comforting light he knew was already inside him?

If Luke could bow to this darkness and while staying true to himself, he could be master of both sides of the Force. He had entertained this thought before, but had never discussed it with anyone. It made sense to Luke, but he doubted anybody would see it the way he did. Everybody seemed so afraid of this darkness, including himself admittedly, but wasn't fear of the dark simply fear of the unknown? If Luke could learn to know this unknown, respecting it as he respected the power of the light side he had come to recognise already, he might be able to give into his father's demands without losing himself.

Finally, after what seemed like five whole minutes of debating with himself, Luke curiously opened up to the darkness spreading in his mind, letting it take him. His knees instantly buckled under the weight; it was like being caught in the eye of a storm. He struggled to stay upright, and closed his eyes. He could feel all the anger, pain and sorrow he'd ever felt in his life, but increased tenfold. The pain seared him and the rage ripped at his mind, causing his fists to clench. He was suddenly visited by every horrible memory he had: his fear that time when, as a child, he'd been confronted by some sand people and rescued only at the last moment by his uncle on a speeder, the heavy loss of his family and the first home he'd known on Tatooine, the feeling of despair when Vader told him he was his father, anger at the Empire for causing so much suffering, the darkness in his soul as he contemplated his mass-murder at the Death Star, his helplessness and hunger while sitting in a cold cell…

The visions faded, leaving only a dense bundle of emotions he felt he could not control. These whispered at him, making him shiver. He hated them, and the darkness, but the monstrous presence in his mind wrapped around him, soothing him. Luke struggled against its hold for only a brief moment, afraid that it would smother him, but when it became clear the darkness wasn't there to hurt him, he let himself be held. He was master of these feelings and as long as he remembered that, he wouldn't lose control.

He took a breath, realising suddenly that he'd been holding one in for a few moments. It felt like the first breath of fresh air after a space battle, cold and sharp, but comforting. He could sense power spreading throughout his limbs, waking his mind from the still groggy feeling of sleep and keeping him alert. Darkness was there, in the folds of his psyche, and Luke accepted it. For now.

Vader seemed to decide this was enough, for he spoke at last. "I think you are beginning to understand, if your current emotions mean anything. Yes… I can feel your anger and your hate. Keep them close to you; they will guide your path to power."

Luke felt a twinge of guilt as he remembered Obi-Wan' teachings… _'Remember; a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him.'_

' _You mean it controls your actions?'_

' _Partially, but it also obeys your commands.'_

Shaking his head, Luke returned to the present, where Vader was still speaking. "It is yours to command, but it will also speak to you, letting you know the wishes of the Force itself."

Luke nodded; this seemed very close to what he'd learned already. However, there was more: "The dark side is not to be feared if you are confident in your abilities. Now, I will lend you one of my spare lightsabers and we shall practice your duelling moves. They need drastic improvement."

"Won't that make the Emperor suspicious if I have good lightsaber skills?" Luke asked desperately, caught unawares and not quite ready to face his father in a duel again. He had no desire to lose any more limbs.

"We shall see about 'good' skills when we are done," Vader said grimly. "But naturally, highly Force-sensitive individuals such as you and I do not require as much training as others to become gifted with a lightsaber; it comes intuitively. Besides, the Emperor would not engage you in a duel unless you were a highly skilled Sith Lord and a threat to his reign. You have nothing to worry about. If the Emperor decides to kill you, I imagine it will be short and relatively painless."

"Thanks." Luke said sarcastically. If this was Vader's idea of being reassuring, he needed to take a class or something. His attention was brought back to the moment when Vader drew two lightsabers from the folds of his cloak. One of them was his own saber, but the other one was simple and plain. Vader threw it to him.

"This is a spare lightsaber of mine." Vader told him as Luke caught it. "You should be able to connect to it, but it will not be a true affinity, like the one you would share with a saber that belongs to you."

"Like the one you took from me."

"Yes. And before you ask, I have modified parts of the hilt so it is unrecognizable to most. The Emperor would not be fooled however, so I have put it somewhere safe. You may not have it back." Vader's tone was final, and Luke nodded. He watched cautiously as Vader stepped around him to stand at the other side of the room and ignited his lightsaber. A bright red glow now illuminated the harsh lines of his mask from below, making him look even more intimidating.

Luke straightened and ignited his own weapon. He noticed distastefully that it was also red. Vader had said this was a spare one of his, so Luke could guess it had likely been used by the Sith before. He could only imagine how many innocents had lost their lives to the blade he was now holding. The more he looked at it, the more it repulsed him so he forced his gaze back on Vader and let the fear and hatred fill him up again. He had a feeling he would be needing it.

It happened suddenly; Vader had been standing in front of him, and then his black bulk was upon him, the lightsaber raised to strike. Luke anticipated the attack at the last moment and only just managed to save himself another unfortunate accident. Their lightsabers hissed as they clashed for a few moments, before Luke dodged out of the way and attempted a counter-attack. Vader dismissed his effort almost lazily, and grunted.

"Concentrate only on blocking attacks correctly for today, young one."

Luke was annoyed by the last-minute instruction and the fact that Vader still called him like that, and let the feeling grow into anger. "Good," Vader said as he brandished his weapon in the Sith's face, "Let this feeling fill you. Only then will you be able to fight me." The dark Lord then moved to his right and attempted another strike. This time, Luke was ready, and the Force seemed to whisper to him what his father was going to do next.

It paid off; he managed to block every one of Vader's next attacks. He was reminded of the time he'd been practicing with a droid under Obi-Wan's watchful gaze. When he'd finally been able to let the Force guide his actions, he had managed to block off all the droid's laser shots. This was exactly like that moment. He felt like he could almost see seconds into the future what Vader was about to do. Their blades spun around so rapidly they were like a haze, and they met with a loud electrifying crash each time. Vader was rapidly advancing on him, but Luke stood his ground, his own strobe of red light at the ready.

The dance of lightsabers went on for several moments more, until Luke was disarmed by a quick flip of Vader's hand. Luke's saber flew into the air but never hit the ground; it zoomed to Vader's hand and he caught it with ease. Then the Sith closed the space between himself and Luke, towering over him so the ghostly mask was a hair's breadth away from his face. The proximity was such that darkness hastened to encompass them both, connecting their minds through the Force. Luke was overpowered and he sank to his knees quite against his will. His face was strained as he tried to resist the pull the dark side had upon him.

Vader's mask stared down at him and as Luke was wondering what the Sith was about to do, he saw a flash of ruby light pass close to his face. He flinched, waiting for pain, the sizzle of burnt flesh or perhaps even death, but nothing happened. When he opened his eyes he saw his father was still standing before him, a lightsaber in each hand, which he had crossed around Luke's neck.

A tremor passed between them and Luke was visited by emotions and flashes of memories that weren't his own: he felt a deep, blinding anger and unbearable pain as he held a dying woman in his arms. She was crying and whispering something to him. The memory changed; now he was surrounded by an intense, red heat and he was strangling a young woman, who was staring at him with wide, fearful eyes… And suddenly he was on his knees, bowing so he could only see the floor, filled with such a naked rage he thought he might burst; and finally he was sitting inside a round chamber with white walls, staring into nothingness, feeling emptier than he had ever felt before, wishing he could still shed tears because his son was dead, _dead_ because of him…

Luke gasped and couldn't hold back his own tears; his heart was not used to feeling so many emotions at once. The lightsabers on either side of his head disappeared back into their hilts and he felt Vader step away quickly. Luke tried to take in deep breaths as he stood back up and stared at his father, realising whose memories he had just witnessed.

"Let this be a reminder to you what will happen if you lose a duel. I could have ended your life in an instant because of a small flaw in your defence." Vader's voice sounded choked at the beginning of his sentence, but it returned to normal so quickly that Luke might have imagined it. Privately, Luke thought the only reason he had lost was because he hadn't been allowed to return the attacks, but he wasn't about to voice his opinion. There was something more important occupying his thoughts right now.

"What happened just now?" He asked slowly, hoping his father would understand what he meant.

"I told you. You made a fatal mistake which –"

"No I mean, just… now… I felt things, and I saw…" His voice faltered when he sensed Vader's anger through the Force again. It was even more terrible than before, so Luke decided it wouldn't be wise to test it right now. He was sure his father knew what he had felt and seen, but simply didn't want to acknowledge it. There was a long and slightly awkward silence, until Vader spoke again.

"You were saying?"

"It was nothing." Luke said hastily, "Can we start again? But this time just tell me what I'm doing wrong."

"Certainly." Vader agreed, handing him back the practice lightsaber. Luke braced himself as his father got into attack position again, but he still felt rather squeamish from before. He could only hope it wouldn't affect his performance.

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From that day on, Vader would meet him at oh-seven-hundred every morning for a practice session. On the fourth day, when they’d been at it for hours, Luke could feel the beginnings of a headache in the back of his mind. Vader had just disarmed him again and was busy reminding him how dangerous it was to let his guard down. Luke was busy not listening. Truth was, he was still very distracted by his father's memories. He tried not to think about them, but the images were too powerful and kept returning to his mind whenever he wasn't concentrated enough.

The memories brought darkness along with them each time, destabilizing Luke whenever it happened. No wonder Vader was dissatisfied by his performance. Luke got up wearily and waited for Vader to throw him the lightsaber again, ready for another round. However, the Sith had other plans in mind.

"No, we are done training for today. You still have much to learn, but you were an adequate student." Vader's voice was emotionless, but Luke suspected this was as close as a compliment he would ever get. He felt like he _had_ made some progress today actually. "Now come with me,” Vader said now, “and do not let go of your feelings. Remember to let the darkness follow you everywhere from now on."

"Yes." Luke answered so Vader would stop talking. A sigh of relief escaped him as he followed Vader through the sombre hallways. After a few minutes of walking, Luke noticed they weren’t following their usual route. They didn't seem to be heading upstairs. "Where are we going?" He asked.

"To the detention centre." Vader answered simply.

Luke had a sudden, horrible thought; he could remember someone in a report talking about some captured rebels who were locked up somewhere, waiting for Vader to interrogate them. "What happened to those pilots who got captured on Hoth?" He asked warily.

Vader was silent a moment, but it only made his answer more terrible. "You are astute. They are waiting for us in the detention centre right now; they are your first test as my apprentice."

"I thought you said we were done for today?" Luke said as he bit his lip, hoping against hope this 'test' of his didn't imply what he was thinking about right now. The darkness still inside him was trembling about hopefully, but he forced it down with a twinge of shame.

"I said we were done _training_ for today. This is a test." Vader stopped in front of a plain metallic door and held Luke's shoulder firmly to stabilize him; he'd nearly walked right into his father. "Now," Vader said, "I have instructions for you. These rebel pilots have already been interrogated so we have no use for them anymore. You will dispose of them using this." Vader unhooked the practice lightsaber Luke had been using earlier and handed it back to him.

Luke didn't take it. He was staring up at Vader silently, his eyes wide and, ever so slowly, he shook his head. After each of their training sessions, Luke could still feel the dark agitated presence inside him, but he felt ashamed when it sparked up in delight at the prospect of killing. Darkness snapped at him from every corner of his mind; _you know you want to do this! Your whole body is twitching at the thought! Just admit it. Let your anger free, you'll feel better._ Luke closed his eyes against these thoughts and murmured; "I won't. Never."

"Do not resist the call of the dark side. If you give yourself to it, this task will be a lot easier than you think. Now take the lightsaber." Vader's tone wasn't at all harsh. He was very calm too as Luke shook his head again, merely taking a step forward so the lightsaber was presented even closer to his son.

Luke stared at the dark, polished metal hilt. If he was honest, Luke was very scared of what he would find if he went in there. What if he knew the pilots? What if he really did enjoy… killing? Would he? It felt unthinkable. He stared at his hands, imagining them, not for the first time, covered with the blood of all those who had died when the Death Star exploded. He'd already killed so many people in his life, but he'd regretted all of their deaths and made peace with the Force.

This situation was entirely different. He was expected to walk in there and slaughter people who had done nothing wrong by his standards. And worse: they were pilots, just like him. He had to kill them; this thought caused a ripple of anticipation inside him. He could feel the darkness burning from inside. Vader was speaking again, but Luke hardly even heard him; "This is a simple task Luke. You need to be ready for when the Emperor inspects you."

Luke closed his eyes, and Vader added; "A condition of our deal was that you would obey my every command without question was it not? Do you prefer to return to a cell and never see the light of day again?"

Something snapped inside Luke at the thought that his own father could really do that to him, and he snatched the lightsaber from Vader's palm. To his surprise, he was not repulsed by it like earlier, rather its cold, hard hilt felt welcome in his hand. He placed it at his belt.

"You do not know these pilots. You have no sympathy for them. You are their worst nightmare. Go." Vader told him slowly and softly. The darkness inside Luke pressed against his every seam from within, threatening to burst, but he swallowed it down. He could feel his eyes burning and realized they were wet with tears. When had that happened?

Nevertheless, he pushed open the door when Vader stepped aside and entered a corridor lined with cellblocks. He passed them all, doing his best to ignore the moans and pleading calls that followed after him, and stopped in front of the one he felt was his. He couldn't tell how he knew, but Vader had not specified a particular cell to go to, so he felt sure it was natural for him to know. Luke pressed the control panel to slide open the door and stepped into the dimly lit cell.

Three pilots looked up at him from their position on the floor. They were battered and their faces were bloody and one of them had an angry-looking black eye. Their expressions were weary and frightened, but they changed when one of them spoke; "Lieutenant-Commander Skywalker?"

Luke did not know their names, which was a relief, but he did recognise their faces. They must have been from Gold Squadron. The one who had spoken was looking at him excitedly, while the other two exchanged looks of satisfaction. Black-eye got up, apparently with a great deal of effort, and grinned. "I don't know how you managed to get here, but I know the stories about you… Thank the stars, we're saved!"

Bitterly, Luke reflected that the 'stories about him' were likely to take on a drastic change soon. Unable to bear another moment of watching their hopeful faces shine at him from down on the cold floor, Luke took a deep breath and called his lightsaber from his belt. It flew to his hand at once and he ignited it. Its sharp hiss made the pilots jump and a soft, glowing red light illuminated the scene, bringing their abused faces to relief.

However, their expressions were anything but relieved. Black-eye cast a wary look with his one good eye to the ruby blade, but said nothing. Perhaps he thought it was part of Luke's plan to get them out of here. "So what now, Skywalker?" Luke could practically feel the hopefulness behind the words, but he saw the two other pilots' faces and they evidently knew something was very wrong here. Desperately, he wished he could tell them that he was here to rescue them, but the Force forbade it.

He felt sorry that their last moments had to be like this, and that he had to be the one to kill them. He knew that any pilot's choice of death would be in the cockpit of a ship. These thoughts disappeared as soon as they crossed his mind however, engulfed by the dark side. He noticed he was breathing more heavily than usual. His mind was going a mile a minute, and he couldn’t think clearly anymore. Raw anger pulsated inside him, and he decided that the pilots deserved a quick death at least.

His blade swung first at the one standing up and his head, closely followed by his body, fell to the ground unknowing, spared the burden of realising Luke's betrayal. The other two pilots stood up in a vain attempt to flee, but Luke made quick work of them too. They fell in a heap on the floor and were silent, but a helpless scream echoed in the cell long after its owner had died, resonating through Luke. He stood there staring at them for a few seconds and let the thrill of elation spread through his body, the murderous sentiment shaking him at his core. Until suddenly, the immensity of his action flooded over him.

He had killed them; people who were on his side, and had literally fought at his side. Good people whose only crime had been to oppose the Empire. Tears were stinging his eyes again, but he refused to let them fall. He wasn't worth it. Luke had killed these pilots and felt sure they were only the first of many innocents to come. And for what; to save his own stinking skin from the wrath of the Emperor? What made him so special? And, more importantly, what allowed Vader to take claim over him?

His own thoughts hissed at him; _He's your father. You always wanted to meet him, and prove yourself worthy to him._

But he hadn't known Vader was his father when he'd dreamt of meeting him.

_Ah, but wouldn't you still do anything just to feel that your father is proud of you? He would never say it, but he is proud of you, proud of the power you hold._

Luke drowned the inner voice out, feeling physically ill. He looked again at the pilots' bodies. There was no blood pooling the floor as he'd imagined, since lightsaber blades cauterized wounds quickly, but the sight of the bodies was still horrifying. He couldn't look for too long at the one who was beheaded; it made him feel as if he was looking at him accusingly.

He fled the room and quickly found a refresher, where he was sick into the toilet. He coughed and felt his head swim. Luke shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair quickly. He then went to the sink and drank a few gulps of water to try and clear his head. He couldn't bear to return to Vader's side right now, that much was certain. Maybe he could find his way back to his room without the Sith's guidance. He’d surely memorized the way back to his room by now.

He walked back into the detention block corridor and made his way to the door at the opposite end of where he'd come from. When he opened it, he was relieved to see the hallway on the other side was devoid of Sith Lords. Quickly, he located the lift and stepped inside. He hesitated on which floor to go to, but then decided on one of the uppermost floors to the west. The lurch of the elevator nearly caused him to gag again and he was thankful when it came to a stop.

The doors opened and Luke, in quite a hurry to leave leave, almost ran into the person now blocking his path. Vader was standing in front of the elevator doors with his arms crossed. Luke reached for the button to close the elevator doors, but an invisible wall prevented him from touching it.

"Don't use the Force against me!" Luke growled, and was surprised at the menacing tone of his own voice.

"There was no need to flee me, Luke. You did well." Vader said coolly.

_He's proud of you_ , the darkness whispered, making Luke shiver.

"What's the matter?" Vader asked, but Luke was silent. "You did what I told you and you have nothing to be ashamed of."

Unable to keep his mouth shut any longer, Luke spat; "I killed those pilots! They're _dead_." He realized he was heaving, and tried to calm himself down before he lashed out and broke something. His father was still staring at him in silence, but then he spoke calmly.

"Follow me. Let's go somewhere private." He then turned away and Luke obediently followed, knowing he had no choice in the matter. When it became apparent they weren't heading for his room however, he became a little nervous. Vader stopped him in front of a door further down the corridor and paused to punch in the code. The door hissed open and Luke entered after Vader. Like the others, the room was dimly lit and contained little furniture. There was only a table and several chairs. There was no viewport, either.

Luke immediately walked up to a chair and sat down. It felt easier to clear his head, then. However, Vader remained standing in front of him, making him feel uncomfortable. "Sit down, won't you?" Luke asked tiredly.

A chuckled rumbled from Vader; "You offer me a seat in my own chamber? Not many have done so and lived to brag about it."

"Then kill me!" Luke shouted, losing his temper and standing up again. "Kill me like you made me kill those pilots!"

Vader was silent, but Luke felt his presence brush his mind in an attempt to soothe him. "Those pilots would have been killed anyway. Who carried out their sentence is irrelevant."

Luke was very annoyed at this. "You always say things are irrelevant! I'm upset because of what killing them has done to me! You told me I'd become more powerful, but I know what you really meant to say now. I'm becoming a monster. Like you." He winced as the words left his mouth, but he couldn’t deny that meant every word. Defiantly, he stared back at his father, but the Sith didn't look impressed or indeed shocked.

"Murder is a part of your new life. Learn to accept it. I cannot make you like it – only you can do that. But the dark side will reveal to you in time the necessity of these actions." Luke snorted and looked away, but Vader continued; "I know you may not understand right now, but I also know you do not want to die. Failing to turn to the dark side completely will only result in your death. Darkness is a master you cannot submit to half-heartedly, neither am I, and neither is the Emperor. Remember that, my son."

As Vader finished speaking, Luke sat back down and stared into nothingness. Briefly, he tried to regret the deaths of those pilots, but darkness snarled at him, preventing him from feeling it. He thought of Han and Leia, but the twinge in his heart he knew was love for his friends appeared faint, numbed down by the dark side. He wasn't completely turned, but if he wasn't careful, he possibly would be soon. The lure of the dark side was indeed powerful and he could no longer deny he was attracted to it.

Could his determination to save his father be worth all this?

"Good, my son." Vader said quietly, reaching out to place a hand on Luke's head. He ever so slightly ruffled his blond hair before he spoke again. "You’ve done well."

Luke closed his eyes and remained silent, not trusting himself to speak, but Vader was satisfied and escorted him back to his room.

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	10. Chapter 10

Darkness came to heel as soon as he called to it, enveloping him in a familiar chill. Vader sighed and closed his eyes under the lenses of his mask. He had learned long ago that, as powerful and obedient as the dark side could be, it was also unpredictable and wild. Case in point; he had almost killed his son while they were training the other day. In a single moment of weakness, he had almost given in to the dark side's will and destroyed what was his. Luke, his own flesh and blood. Sith Lords did not have any use for offspring. Sith Lords did not care about anyone but themselves and their own quest for power.

But Vader's quest for power was now disrupted. He could never again follow the path to unlimited power without thinking of the consequences each of his actions would have on his son. The mere fact he had not yet set out to hunt down Yoda, nor even demanded that Luke inform him of the old Jedi's whereabouts, was proof of this. He could not search out Yoda and destroy him, no matter what power, enlightenment or personal satisfaction it would bring him, because it would mean Luke's death. Once again in his life, Vader promised himself he would not be responsible for another death in his family.

He felt guilty that Luke had been able to view the memories that had passed through his mind as he'd contemplated killing the boy, but even angrier at the fact that the memories had resurfaced. His mother's death, Padmé's death, they were his fault… The dark side suddenly blocked him, refusing him access to the feelings that were associated with those people. They were irrelevant. Regardless of what Luke thought, Vader knew he could no longer feel love or compassion.

So then why had he spared the boy? This was a question he could not answer. At first, it had been for personal gain. Luke was the key to defeating the Emperor and understanding the immense power of the dark side. But the boy was so _stubborn_. Not to mention impatient and exasperating… Turning him would be difficult indeed. Luke had killed for him, had shown bouts of wanting to lean into the darkness and understand his powers, but they were only that – brief moments in time, insignificant next to the boy's stronger emotions of kindness and empathy.

The important thing was that his master never find out. Palpatine's return to Coruscant was impending; Luke needed to be turned some more, and tested some more, so that Palpatine only felt the boy's obedience to him. That would be difficult to achieve, but Vader was confident he would manage. Luke was not like Galen Marek or any of the other failed apprentices he had had. He was his son, and the bond they shared was far superior to the one Vader shared with Palpatine.

For one thing, Vader had certainly never allowed Palpatine access to the memories he kept under lock at all times, souvenirs of another life and the failures attributed to a man that was long dead. Anakin Skywalker's presence was still there somewhere, but only as a cold, dead inscription at the bottom of Vader's mind. It was the feeble imprint of a body that was almost completely destroyed now. None of his original limbs remained and, along with them, none of the feelings he may have had for his mother, or Padmé, or even Luke, could he have been there to witness his birth and his growth.

He forced himself to believe he had no attachment to the boy. Luke was merely useful to him, nothing more.

The fact remained; Luke would have to be taught some manners, and how to conceal most of his thoughts from Palpatine's intrusive presence.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

A sheen of sweat covered his skin as he inhaled deeply, staring up at the dark ceiling. Luke stayed still for several moments before finally deciding to roll over on his side so he could reach for the lamp and turn it on. He glanced over at the clock and realized he hadn't been asleep very long before the nightmare had plagued him. Luke was no stranger to nightmares; he'd been prone to them all his life, mostly as a child, but also in the past two years. Vader wouldn't be pleased if he ever found out – or maybe he would, Luke wasn’t sure – but the black, spectral mask and that hissing, unnatural breathing sound had been visiting his nightmares ever since he'd learned the Sith was his father. He'd never shared this fact with anyone, knowing that Han and Leia were probably already concerned about him. The fact he was having nightmares and possibly premonitions about his father wouldn't help.

Luke had never been so worried about his nightmares before though. As a child, he always dreamt that a huge shadow crept towards him and snatched his father away from him. Only now did he understand what that had meant. Uncle Owen had forbidden him from talking about these dreams, which had only ever furthered Luke's curiosity about them. Ultimately, he had learnt the truth; his father was not gone, he had merely become that large, dark shadow.

The nightmare he'd just had as he lay in his bed at the Imperial Palace was quite different from those however. It had been vivid. Luke did not want to relive it, but as he took in deep breaths and concentrated on calming down, the images came back to him…

_He could see the boarding ramp of a shuttle, which was parked on a dense forest planet. Vader had already disembarked and was ordering some officers and their troops around. As he watched, he noticed that Vader's flowing cape seemed detached from his body and looked longer than usual. He had the strange impression that a shadow was tiptoeing around the Sith and watching him. Just as he thought this, someone actually emerged from behind Vader; he was short, exceedingly so next to Vader's tall frame, blond and dressed in black robes, leather and dark tinted metal armour._

_Luke was shocked as he watched the older version of himself draw a red luminous blade from the depths of his dark cloak and slide away alone into the dense woods._

_The images became hazy suddenly, and now he was forced to watch as the older Luke marched onto a campsite, swinging his blade expertly at the soldiers who turned on him. Some fell, cut to pieces by the strobe of blood red light, while others were shot down by their own laser blasts when they were deflected by the humming lightsaber. Cries of agony and fear echoed through the chilly night, but the older Luke ignored them all as he walked with purpose up to a beaten-down bunker._

_Next, Luke watched in horror as the older version of himself stood in front of people he recognized: Han, Leia and Chewbacca, even Threepio and Artoo… They were talking, but the sounds were muted by the rushing feeling in his ears. They were frightened and repulsed by him, but darkness forbade him from feeling anything towards them in return. They had turned on him; they were his enemies._

_The older Luke raised his blade and his eyes shone through the dusk – they were a foul, tainted yellow colour and outlined by heavy, dark rings that suggested he had never gotten a moment's sleep in his life. His friends cowered, Han stepping in front of Leia boldly as though he could protect her from him, and as he advanced on them with murder in his eyes their faces turned into the horrified expressions of the pilots in the cell and a terrible scream rang through his ears –_

And Luke opened his eyes and found himself panting, realizing that he had screamed out loud. "NO!" And as he stared around him he whispered that word again; "No… no, no, no, no…" As if it would make the images of the dream disappear, or tone down the emotions swirling through him like a whirlwind.

It wasn't true, he reminded himself. It had only been a nightmare, and unlikely ever to come true. He could never let it become real.

But an annoying voice in his mind reminded him of all the other things he had sworn to the Force in the last few weeks. That he would not let Vader get to him… That he would never give in to his father's demands, never use the dark side for even a moment… That he would not kill those pilots… But he had. He had done all those things and now it was too late for him. He could still feel remorse, but for how long still? He had given into the dark side briefly, hoping merely to understand it better, to maybe just have a taste of its power…

It was electrifying. He knew if he continued to test it out, he wouldn't be able to stop. He felt he would die if he didn't let it fill him; that it would choke him if he didn't obey its whims. Yoda had said that the dark side was a solitary path dominated by strong emotions, merely quicker and more seductive than the light side. Luke understood this now.

He grumbled and got out of bed, peeling off his t-shirt, now damp with sweat, and threw it in the corner already occupied by the destroyed Imperial jacket as he walked over to the fresher. He splashed cool water over his face, not caring if it dripped to the floor, and stared around the large, tiled room.

He eyed the gold and black tiles distastefully and remembered his earlier urge to scratch off the Imperial logos. They were printed on the wall in diagonal patterns. It hurt his nails to try and scratch them off so he turned his aggression and anxiety to the only other thing he could think of – himself. It hurt too, but he didn't care and continued to scratch and pick at his forearms fervently until were covered in angry red marks. He kept at it for a long time, uncaring about anything else but that fact that it kept him occupied and prevented his dark thoughts from returning to the front of his mind. Eventually though he knew he had to stop, and he ran cool water over his skin before leaving the fresher. His arm was throbbing.

Feeling suddenly cold, he briskly walked back to his bed and hid under the black silky covers. He had again omitted to close the curtains, so the colourful neon lights of the city shone into the room around him. The sky was clearer than earlier, announcing dawn. Luke forced his eyes to remain open as he stared into nothingness, watching the shadows in the room receding under the growing light of the rising sun. The leftovers from dinner he had eaten last night were still on the floor where he'd left them – he had not been able to consume it all, feeling sick from the still fresh memory of murdering the pilots. It seemed surreal to him that barely a week ago he would have done anything for food, and now that he had basically unlimited access to it, he no longer wanted any.

The whole palace felt tainted, Luke reflected bitterly. Even he was tainted now, twisted and corrupted by the evil that surrounded him.

This thought caused him unbelievable pain inside so he drowned it out as he shut his eyes, keen on getting some much-needed sleep now that he was calm.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Luke."

Silence, then a deep breath. "Luke!"

His eyelids were heavy and when he tried to open his eyes, he found his vision blurred by tears. He must have been having another nightmare again, but he couldn't remember.

"Wake up!" Ordered a firm, brass-toned voice from far away. Luke's eyes snapped open this time and he forced himself to sit up. Vader was standing in the middle of the room and appeared most irritated. "You have had quite enough time for sleep, young one, now get up. We have a busy schedule today."

Luke was about to argue that he hadn't had any sleep at all in fact, but stopped himself just in time. Whatever happened, he could not let his father know he'd been having nightmares. Maybe if he was younger, and his father wasn't a scary Sith Lord, he might have considered running to tell him all about his bad dreams, but that was fantasy world. The fact was that Vader probably wouldn't care. Worse still: he would probably try to use Luke's fears against him, as he had already proved himself more than capable of doing.

So Luke obediently slipped out of bed and reached for yesterday's robes which were lying on the floor near the dresser. He anticipated it seconds before; Vader was not pleased. "I have equipped your room with furniture for a reason, Luke. I suggest you stop leaving your clothes lying around or there will be consequences."

Luke almost laughed at that. Was Vader talking about _grounding_ him? Stars, he hadn't been grounded since he was sixteen at the most. But he had another, better, retort in mind; "Maybe I inherited your apparent dislike of furniture." Vader was silent, so Luke turned to look back at him as he dressed. "C'mon, explain why you hate furniture. I know you do; there is none in any of your rooms."

"I do not hate furniture son." Vader finally said, sounding confused. "I simply have no use for material possessions. You should learn this important fact as well; material possessions will bring you nothing. They are –"

"Irrelevant?" Luke interrupted, and felt Vader's temper rise. "Lucky guess." He said, smirking as he hurried to finish donning his robes.

Vader apparently decided it was best for both their sanities to ignore this little exchange and immediately got to the point of his visit. "As I was saying, we have much to do today. The Emperor is on his way and should arrive later tomorrow evening. We still have some training to do as well as another meeting to attend."

Luke smoothed out his robes slowly, in deep thought. "Why do I have to come to another boring meeting with you?"

"Because boring meetings are a part of your new life too, and you must learn to accept them as I do."

He couldn't hold back a laugh now. "You hardly _accept_ anything you don't like. If someone annoys you… you just strangle them." Luke glanced back at his father and tried to intercept the other man's feelings, but it proved impossible. Vader was a blank wall to him right now. There was silence, or the room was as silent as it could get with Vader's respirator working at keeping him alive, and Luke thought of something else; "The Emperor's coming…" He said softly, unashamed of the slight fear in his own voice. "Once he gets here, will we have time to speak together like this? Will it be dangerous to talk about the truth?"

"The truth?" Vader's brass tone voice grated across the room to him, but Luke knew he understood what he meant even if he had not answered his questions.

"I still have so many things to ask you. And I'm sure you do, too." Luke blinked a few times, slightly annoyed that his father still had no reaction to his words.

Then however, the Sith sighed wearily; "I can spare a brief moment right now. Go ahead and ask." Luke was reassured by Vader's tone of voice; it was more casual than he'd ever heard it. He knew that not many people had seen him at ease like this, and for the opportunity he felt appreciative. They may never have a normal father-son relationship, but this would have to do.

"Who were those people I saw in your memories the other day?" He asked the question innocently enough, but felt Vader's temper flare again. It was obvious this was a touchy subject, but Luke's curiosity had always been extensive, as well as dangerous, Uncle Owen had often reminded him, and he simply couldn't get the images and flickers of emotion out of his head. Vader stood there staring at him still, clearly not about to answer. Luke bit his lip. "If you answer my question, I'll tell you anything you want to know about my life. I have no secrets."

It was the truth, and he felt Vader's dark presence probing at his mind to confirm this. The Sith Lord sighed again; "Very well, exasperating son of mine."

Luke felt a mixture of emotions as this phrase was uttered. It seemed to suggest that Vader cared for him on a deepr level than simply his Force potential. Something throbbed in Luke's heart. _Son of mine…_ It was so simple, and he wanted desperately to believe it, but would a father really submit his only son to all of this if he truly cared? Did Vader even really care about him at all? It was a wonderful lie, and Luke decided to believe it.

"What do you remember seeing precisely?" Vader asked calmly.

"I remember holding a woman. She was crying and whispering something as she… died." Luke said, carefully measuring his words so he was sure not to test Vader's anger again.

"My mother." Vader said sharply and Luke felt a flicker of pain pass through to him. "I left her all alone when I was just a boy to go become a Jedi. When I finally returned to her, it was too late. She died in my arms."

"I remember her grave, near the homestead. My aunt and uncle never told me what happened to her, only that she was my grandmother, Shmi." Luke said quietly, thinking. He then decided to try his luck; "What was she saying?"

"That is not for you to know." Vader answered at once, having probably anticipated the question. Luke let it go, aware that this was probably the touchiest subject they had spoken of to date. He wanted other answers, so he had better keep Vader as calm as possible.

"I also remember… There was a young woman on a volcanic planet. I was – I mean you, um, I don't know but she was suffering, being strangled…" As he spoke he felt Vader's pain through the Force again, but this time it was accompanied by rage.

It took several long moments before Vader answered. "Your mother," he murmured. "She was unable to accept what I had become, didn't want to see all that I had done and sacrificed for her…"

"So you killed her?" Luke demanded, shocked. He realized seconds later that he had come very close to shouting this.

"Enough!" Vader spat. "This subject is off-limits. I do not know what even possessed me to answer your pesky questions in the first place. Now be quiet."

Luke stared down at his feet, struggling to keep his own anger under check. The sudden confession was devastating; Vader had hurt his mother, perhaps even killed her. Was that why Luke had been hidden from him? Had Obi-Wan and Yoda been afraid that his wrath would kill Luke too? And now he was not allowed to ask any more questions. Luke still had one – involving Vader in a round, white room, grieving over his son's death. But he knew what that meant. He looked back up at Vader, remembering that moment on Yavin IV two years ago. Luke had wondered if Vader had felt anything when he'd realized he must be dead. He now had his answer.

"Why are you smiling? Wipe that idiotic expression off your face right now, young one. Anyone else but you would be in great agony at this moment if they dared look at me like that." Vader's tone was harsh, but only one part of his scolding meant anything to Luke; _'Anyone else but you…'_ Vader did care.

"I think you should ask the questions now, father." Luke said rather cheerfully.

Vader growled; "I do not think I am in the mood anymore."

With another smile, Luke nodded. "Suit yourself." Vader met his gaze, or so Luke suspected he did, for a long moment. Something unspoken passed between them and suddenly, Vader was calm again.

"Who named you Luke?"

It was obvious this was important to him, and that he'd been bursting to ask, so Luke racked his brains. Everyone had been calling him Luke ever since he could remember. He supposed that was normal, but he had never thought to ask if his new guardians had chosen the name for him, or if somebody else had named him before he was brought on Tatooine. "I know for a fact that Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru weren't there when I was born. It wasn't on Tatooine, that's for sure. I don't know if they named me or not. But I'd like to think that maybe my mother named me. It feels right."

His father was silent again for a long time and Luke felt something stroke against his mind again. It wasn't quite the same cold, dark something as usual, but he still knew it was Vader deep down. "Then it must be true," Vader said. "Padmé chose your name." Luke felt a rush of pleasure at this comforting thought. He really hoped it was true.

He glanced at his father again, waiting for a new question, but none came. "That's enough for now I think," Vader said instead. "Now follow me, we have much to do."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The training today could not have been more different from usual, Luke thought.

He concentrated again as he saw the chair rise from the floor in front of him. The Force connected him to the floating object; he felt like he could almost sense it. Then suddenly the chair came flying at him and Luke was ready. He pushed out a hand and willed for the chair to fall back. It stopped in mid-air, resisted for a moment, then toppled to the ground.

Luke was panting now, his muscles strained. They'd been doing this for at least two hours. At first, Luke had been clumsy and his reflexes weak. He'd never have thought it possible, but he'd been hit by flying furniture so many times this morning it was starting to get redundant. His muscles ached and he longed for a drink of water, but he knew better than to ask for a break. He readied himself again as Vader pulled up a large filing cabinet this time, and threw it towards him. The black piece of furniture was too fast for his dulled reflexes however, and after trying in vain to push it back, Luke was forced to jump out of its way.

It hit him squarely on the shoulder and Luke gasped in pain. He kneeled over and felt his shoulder gingerly; nothing seemed displaced or broken, just sore.

"Get up," Vader ordered, apparently annoyed. "Now throw the cabinet back at me."

Luke nodded and gathered himself up. He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, trying to remember the way Yoda had taught him. Reaching out with the Force was relatively easy by now, but feeling where everything in the room was… that was something else. He concentrated on the floor, trying to feel where the cabinet had fallen, and a muffled tremble responded. The cabinet was suddenly very clear to him, outlined against everything else in the room. Luke kept his face calm and willed for the cabinet to rise from the ground. He felt its weight, and knew it had obeyed his command.

Next he felt around for his father's presence and easily found him, as the darkness inside him was drawn to Vader like a magnet. He strengthened his hold on the cabinet, vaguely noticing that it had fallen down a few inches, and pushed it forwards at Vader.

"Very good." Vader said from far away and Luke opened his eyes. "Surprisingly good for somebody who has never been trained to do this..." He sounded suspicious, Luke realised.

"Master Y –" He paused, feeling Vader's annoyance at the name. "I mean, I _have_ been taught to use the Force like this, um, before…"

"Very well." Vader answered, his voice unreadable. "Then I have but one more exercise for you." As he spoke, he called up the chair from the corner of the room again and the piece of furniture stopped to float in mid-air right in front of Luke. Vader waited for his son to stand, then gave his instructions. "You will crush this chair until it is but a pile of wreckage."

Luke stared briefly. "But… it's made of metal."

"No matter. Call upon all your anger and you will be able to do it. Do not disappoint me."

The chair suspended in mid-air seemed to be mocking him. Vader's tone was final and Luke knew he wouldn't be allowed to leave this room until the task was done. He sighed and reached out with both hands to order the Force to grip around the chair. A deep rumble filled his ears and he felt the cool, hard material of the chair resisting against the pressure. He pressed harder, straining his face, willing with every fibre in his body for the chair to crumble, but nothing happened.

"I can't!" He said, panting harder than ever. "It's too… too hard…" As he said this he was reminded of when he'd tried to pull his X-Wing out of the murky pond on Dagobah. Hadn't he told Yoda it was impossible to do? Would he be able to do it now?

"You're not using your anger, Luke." Vader said calmly.

With a sigh, Luke concentrated again, this time gritting his teeth as he thought of everything that made him angry. It was hard; what made him angry really? Small annoyances mostly, not even worth contemplating. But then he recalled Uncle Owen, telling him he wasn't allowed to go to the academy, refusing to tell him about his father… He remembered every moment of rage he had felt each time they suffered losses at the hands of the Empire… His fury when he had a vision of Vader torturing his friends… His own self-loathing when he realized what he had done, when he killed the three pilots…

To his surprise, the metal chair in front of him twisted and curled under the pressure of his angry thoughts, emitting a high groan as it was deformed. Luke watched it collapse into an indistinct form and when it was sufficiently compressed, it fell with to the floor with a dull thud.

"You have done very well this morning Luke." Vader said, making Luke stare. He felt a brief rush of pride pass through to him from the Sith and couldn't help but smile. He was still rather out of breath, but it had been worth it. Somehow it even felt like this training was completing upon things Yoda had already taught him. Luke wiped his forehead with his sleeve and loosened the neckline of his robes as he listened to his father speak again; "I have prepared yet another test for you. When you have completed it you may go eat, and we shall resume this lesson afterwards."

"Another… test?" Luke whispered, freezing. Something deep inside him recoiled at the thought, recalling the shame and self-loathing of last time, along with the memory of throwing up afterwards… But then darkness came along and chuckled at him, nudging him forwards and Luke felt a tremor of barely-contained eagerness.

"Are you ready?" Vader asked, the subtext clear.

Luke closed his eyes and concentrated on himself. He could feel a feral appetite building up in the pit of his stomach, but his other emotions refused to acknowledge it. The shame from yesterday was still present somewhere, and last night's dream still very vivid… He saw once again his own sulphurous, murderous gaze, and trembled. Whatever may happen, _that_ would never become true. Finally, he spoke, knowing that resisting any longer would only deepen his anger. "Yes." He said resolutely.

"Good. Follow me." Vader rumbled as he turned to the door. Luke silently followed him as always and felt an awful _déjà-vu_. He was not as terrified at the prospect of whatever Vader's test would involve this time, but he was still going to it rather reluctantly. To his surprise, Vader was not leading him down to the detention level, but upwards back to the main part of the palace. He didn't voice his curiosity however, knowing that Vader was likely to explain everything once they reached their destination.

The corridors up here were drenched full of golden sunlight shining from the windows, reflecting on the tall walls and high ceilings, but it did nothing to improve Luke's mood. His dark feelings remained even as he stared out to the bustling city. He hadn't stood in sunlight for so long, but something prevented him from enjoying the feeling. It wasn't important.

He realized Vader was walking well in front of him so he hurried to keep up. They soon arrived at destination, and Vader stopped in front of the door to say something. "Remember this morning's lesson." He waited for Luke to nod, and then opened the door with a flick of his hand.

As Luke entered behind him he felt a shiver; the room was full of people. Now that he thought of it, he did recognize this place. It was the same conference room he'd attended a meeting in with Vader days ago. Was this the test? Luke felt relieved for a moment, but the feeling was short-lived when he noticed that everyone in the room had their eyes on him.

Without even thinking about it he stepped behind Vader, slipping with ease into the shadow of the Sith. Vader took no notice of it and walked to the only empty seat around the circular table. Luke followed swiftly, keeping in the obscurity at the back of the room.

"Let this be brief, I have other things to do." Vader stated sombrely and Luke saw some of the officers shift uneasily. He counted them quickly and found there were eleven of them, none of which he recognized. They all looked the same to him though. Vader did not sit down, but rather stood behind the empty chair that had been left for him. "What do you have to report?" The Sith Lord demanded, now looking straight at one of the most nervous-looking men.

The admiral spoke with a surprisingly calm voice, considering the tension in his face. "The _Devastator_ journeyed to Sullust as per your orders, but I regret to say that we found nothing. Not even a deserted base. We imagine the rebels may have moved to another location already, but their tracks are difficult to follow."

"You _imagine_ they may have moved?" Vader asked sharply and the man shuddered.

"We have our best troops at work on locating them, my Lord. As soon as we find something…"

"Why did you send the _Devastator_ , Admiral? It was not the closest available Star Destroyer."

At this, the man visibly blanched. "The _Devastator_ had the most troops on board at the time, my Lord. The rebels might have put up a struggle."

Obviously this was the wrong thing to say, because Vader tensed and his anger flared out with all the energy of twin suns. The Sith next spoke with heavy venom in his voice; "Then they must have moved before the _Devastator_ reached Sullust! The results of your laziness and stupidity are catastrophic."

The admiral was now sweating at the temples as he gulped. Everyone else in the room was either staring at him in a mix of wonder and curiosity, or doing their best to look away. Vader lifted an arm slowly and the admiral gave a violent twitch. Luke stopped himself short of asking his father to reconsider, but as he watched, he realised Vader was merely pointing in the air as he spoke again. "I will not dispose of you," he said, causing the admiral's eyes to widen.

"T – th – thank y –"

"Unluckily for you," Vader went on loudly, interrupting the admiral's stuttering. "I have brought my apprentice along with me today and he might not be so forgiving."

Luke sensed a pull of the Force in his direction and, very reluctantly, he stepped out from the safety of the shadows. All eyes were on him once again and he swallowed down his nervousness, keeping his head high and his posture straight. He should have known what this was about. Vader had told him specifically to remember this morning's lesson as they had entered the room. There was silence as everybody waited in either anticipation or fear to see what Luke would do.

As Luke levelled with his father and stood at his left, he forced himself to look at the admiral. The man was still sitting, but shaking like a leaf and his forehead was gleaming with sweat. Luke looked at him and remembered the dishevelled form of the chair back in the training room – the next thought that crossed his mind made him feel sick. No, surely not, Vader couldn't expect him to…? But the task at hand was clear. Vader had a reputation of strangling people he considered useless, and Luke was here to maintain his father's reputation. Luke was merely an extension of his father's hand, he realized with a twinge of indignity.

The admiral was suffering now, unable to bear the wait, not knowing if Luke was going to obey Vader. Luke let the seconds slip by, wondering himself what he was going to do, but he could feel Vader beside him getting all the more impatient with every passing moment. The dark side tore at Luke's heart as he still stared into the admiral's eyes and at last he gave into the savage need inside. He lifted his arm and his hand came to rest open in mid-air.

He twisted his hand slowly, letting his fingers curl around an imaginary neck in front of him, concentrating on the real neck of the admiral from afar. He hesitated a moment, making sure he truly had a grasp on the man, took a deep breath, and closed his fingers tightly. The admiral choked and brought his hands up to his neck in a vain attempt to free himself from the invisible, impalpable grip of the Force. Luke was blind to the horrified and curious looks he was getting from the other people around the table and had eyes only for the dying admiral.

A thrill of pleasure ran through him when the admiral gave one last gasp for air and was still. Luke released his grip and let the man fall limply, face-down on the table. He reached out with the Force and felt his father was pleased. The other admirals and officers in the room were still staring at him, but it seemed insignificant now. Luke sent a silent question at his father and, when he received the approval, he stepped backwards into the shadowy corner of the room again.

The meeting was continuing in the room; Luke could hear Vader talking again, but he shut it all out. All that mattered right now was that he'd just been forced to murder again. Why had he done it? He couldn't remember… It seemed disconnected from his mind, as though another part of himself had gone through with the act and he'd merely watched from the side. But even worse than all that, he'd _enjoyed_ it. That single moment where the admiral's life had left him – he'd seen it through the man's eyes – that moment was clear to him and the delight he'd felt was still faintly discernible. His heartbeat was accelerated and Luke looked back at the table where the dead admiral still lay, as though asleep.

Had that man deserved this? Even if he was an Imperial… nobody should have the _right_ to decide if someone deserved to live or not. Had the man been father too? Luke closed his eyes and let his head hang. Darkness responded to his silent queries by soothing him, filling him to the brim and banishing all other emotions but hate and anger. New thoughts came to him: maybe that man had killed some of Luke's friends. Maybe he was a murderer himself. In that case, was it truly wrong to have killed him?

_Yes_ , he thought. _Killing is always wrong, no matter the reason._

But what if his father asked him to? A much stronger emotion quashed everything else out as he remembered the feel of his father's pride towards him. Any shame dissipated when Luke opened his eyes again to this time look at Vader's back. The Alliance didn't matter to him anymore. The Empire didn't even matter, would never matter anyway. All that mattered was his father. The dark side tapered for a moment and Luke realized the emotion he was feeling right now.

Why did he feel this strongly for Vader? They hadn't known each other that long, yet just the fact he had a father was enough to overshadow anything else. Vader was the Emperor's right hand man and the greatest fear of practically everybody in the universe. Then why did Luke want his respect?

A new thought came to him and he remembered the emotions he'd felt from his father as they revisited his old memories. Anakin Skywalker was still in there somewhere, and Luke felt him. That was why. Luke's destiny was to protect that presence. It was visible only to him.

Luke smiled when his father gestured for him to follow him out of the room. The Imperials were all still seated and Luke saw their expressions when they watched him emerge from the obscurity – they saw him smiling and thought it was still from having killed the admiral. _Well… let them think what they want_ , Luke reflected. If anything their fear of him would only help the dark side grow.

**.**

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**.**

 


	11. Chapter 11

Luke didn't look up when Harv entered his room; he had felt him arriving. This had been happening a lot since this morning when he'd killed the admiral. Anger was still pulsating through his veins and his affinity with the Force had somehow tripled in strength. He could feel everyone and everything clearly around him so well it was almost dizzying.

He was currently wolfing down a large platter of fruit and eggs. Contrary to last time, it seemed murder had given him quite an appetite. He smirked grimly at the thought. Was murder already becoming so mundane to him? The Luke Skywalker from a few days ago would be puking his guts out right now. How quickly the darkness inside him had grown.

Harv got straight to the point as always. "Lord Vader requested for me to check up on you today."

"What for?" Luke asked, frowning. It didn't seem like Vader to do this.

"My orders are to conduct a psychological examination."

Swallowing his food hastily, Luke gasped; "What so you're a psychiatrist now? I don't need my head looked at!" He let his fork fall back down on the plate and scowled at Harv, who was wearing an expression like Luke had suddenly announced he was a rebel spy. "What?" Luke snapped.

"Nothing, it's just… I've... You've never…" Harv stammered, clearly afraid of him. Luke stared at him and felt the undercurrent of his thoughts, understood what the doctor had been trying to say.

"You've just never seen me angry?" Luke said, more to himself.

"I – yes, exactly." Harv confirmed, biting his lip and shuffling uncomfortably.

Luke gave a small smile, suddenly realizing what was going on. "You don't have to be afraid of me, Harv. I'm not angry at _you_." Harv was silent and still for a moment, but he finally nodded and came closer. "So, what's with this fear of me suddenly?" He asked, watching the medic's face closely.

Harv met his gaze and, surprisingly, smiled. "It seems you've become quite notorious very rapidly."

Luke's face fell. "What do you mean?" He asked quietly.

"I mean that I heard some things today, well more like whispers really. People are terrified of course, but they still talk to each other however quietly."

"What kinds of things?" Luke asked through his teeth, which were now clenched. Harv shot him a wary look, but answered anyway.

"I heard you punished an admiral who'd done an unsatisfactory job for Vader."

"If you mean that I killed him, then yes it's true." Luke said bluntly, annoyed at Harv's hesitation. "But I know that's not all people are saying."

Harv definitely looked guarded now. "It's just things people are saying, you know how the Palace is, rumours flying about all the time…"

"Just tell me Harv." Luke said wearily.

"Well, you've already managed to gain quite a reputation. People are calling you, um… Vader's Shadow."

" _Vader's Shadow?_ " Luke repeated, "That's…" He paused. He'd been about to say 'ridiculous', but maybe it wasn't at all. Every time anybody saw him he was always standing behind Vader, in his shadow, waiting for his orders. To others he must appear the obedient apprentice, a tool to do Vader's bidding. Luke's nightmare suddenly came back to him, as vivid as before. In the dream he'd literally been a shadow, until he'd furtively slid away to execute some unknown order.

Luke snapped back to reality when he realized Harv was talking again. "It's just, what they were saying, it seemed so unlike you. They said you looked like a heartless man and it was somehow worse watching you kill someone because of your expression. Lord Vader doesn't show any emotion, or if he does nobody can see it, but people are saying that you were actually… smiling."

"That's an exaggeration." Luke said quietly, remembering that moment as he left the meeting. He had been smiling then, but only because of the realizations he'd just had about his father. He couldn't remember what his face had been like as he'd killed the admiral, but he was almost ready to bet he hadn't been smiling. He couldn't have been.

"Is it?" Harv dared to ask. Luke met his eyes again and huffed.

"Of course it is. You know how rumours exaggerate every time they're told don't you?" Luke paused and Harv nodded. He then watched the medic cross the room to pull up the small stool in the corner. Luke continued to eat his food and spoke only once Harv was seated in front of him. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. We're going to sit here together for a while, have a conversation if you want or just watch me eat – I don't care. Then you'll go away and if Vader asks, you looked me over and I'm fine. Okay?"

Harv stared at him blankly. "I'm not that stupid. I know this room is under surveillance. Besides, nobody can lie to Lord Vader and get away with it."

"But I'm _fine_!" Luke protested.

"I'm sure you are," Harv said mildly, "but you'll have to tell him that yourself. I, on the other hand, have a job to do. I’m only going to ask you a few questions."

"Perhaps I will tell him myself then. Look, it's not your fault if I refuse to cooperate. Just tell him I threatened you or something; he'll believe that. What do you think?"

"I think whatever plan you decide to share with me is rendered immediately useless by the surveillance cameras anyway, so there's no use trying. Why don't you just let me examine you and we'll be done with it. He'll force you into it in the end anyway." Harv said rationally. Luke saw his point of view, but he didn't care.

"No he won't. You think you outrank me? I'm allowed to refuse medical treatment."

"I'm inclined to believe that Lord Vader wouldn't agree. As your legal guardian, he reserves the right to –"

"My _what_?" Luke demanded, astonished.

"Well, when I asked Lord Vader if you had a medical file, he didn't answer me. I then asked who your legal guardians are and he told me he was." Harv said, looking just as surprised as Luke felt. "I assumed that you knew this."

"But I'm my own legal guardian… I mean, I'm an orphan, and I'm an adult aren't I? So…"

"Not on Coruscant." Harv told him. "You're not 21 standard years old yet."

"I will be in a few months…" Luke said bitterly, his mind reeling. Vader was his legal guardian. Was that another way of saying he'd adopted him? The thought was strange to him. On Tatooine he'd never needed any legal papers, but on Coruscant, the government was stricter. Vader couldn't refer to Luke as his son on any papers, so he'd had no choice but to make him his… adoptive child? He doubted Vader saw it like that, and he doubted the Emperor would either. It was merely bureaucracies put in place so he'd be allowed to live in Imperial City, surely.

Harv looked ready to talk about that psychological examination he was supposed to be conducting again, so Luke put aside his plate of unfinished food and got up.

"Where are you going?" Harv asked in surprise.

"To see m – Vader." Luke said, almost, _almost_ saying out loud the one thing he was not allowed to. "Open the door for me."

Harv seemed torn between his newfound fear of Luke, and the desire to obey his orders from Vader. His eyes looked between Luke and the door several times before he managed to speak. "Absolutely not. My job, and probably my life, is on the line here."

"I know but look, I'll tell Vader it's not your fault. He'll… I won't let him do anything to you Harv."

"But how can I be sure you won't escape the moment I open this door? Then it _will_ be my fault. You're under lock and supervision for a reason Luke. Once again, I'm not that stupid."

"You mean you don't believe me?"

"I – well, you… um…" Harv muttered, and Luke knew he didn't dare tell him that no, he did not. Or perhaps Harv did believe him, but didn't want to take the chance. Either way, Luke was annoyed.

"Come on, Harv! I promise, okay?" Luke extended his right hand and Harv stared at it blankly. Luke realized it was his prosthetic one, the one with which he had already murdered four people. It seemed this new metallic hand was having a bad influence on him. Luke shook his head and looked back at Harv, who was still hesitating. The medic's eyes suddenly met his, and in an instant, the other man seemed to decide to trust him. They shook hands briefly and Harv moved to the door.

He fished around in his pocket until he drew out a card, which he waved in front of the control panel next to the door. It slid open and he and Luke crossed the threshold into the corridor. "Oh I see," Luke said, grinning. "Next time I'll just knock you out and steal your card then!'

Harv shot him a look that plainly said 'that's not funny', and Luke began to feel around for his father's presence, trying to locate him. It was done quickly enough and soon he knew exactly which door Vader was behind. This part he had not thought through yet, but he refused to call out to his father. Instead he attempted to us the control panel. It beeped angrily at him, demanding a code – but then the door mysteriously slid open anyway.

The room beyond it was so dark, and suddenly there was a hermetic hissing sound and the round, shiny black pod to the side of the room opened. It was like a jaw with teeth, Luke noticed, and the interior was completely white. It looked somehow familiar…

Vader had stepped out of the pod and walked up the short stairs to meet them at the door. Luke looked behind his shoulder to confirm that there was indeed still a 'them' and saw Harv standing a little ways away. He looked extremely nervous. Luke turned around and took a step back into the corridor as Vader showed no signs of letting him stay inside. Once the door to the room was closed behind him, the Sith spoke in a low, icy voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to speak to you." Luke said calmly, and Vader growled.

"I told you to call me if you need something. Moreover, how did you get out here?"

"A funny thing happened; I opened the door, and stepped out into the corridor!" Luke said cheerfully, not really thinking that this could be considered talking back.

"The door was unlocked? I highly doubt it."

"Not exactly… Harv unlocked it for me." Luke said, and Vader's head snapped to Harv who had, until now, been overlooked.

"You know the consequences of this, doctor. I would not want to have to dispose of you, but this is unacceptable." Vader's voice rumbled and Harv shook slightly.

"My Lord, the boy wished to have a word with you. I agreed to escort him." Harv replied, and Luke actually thought it was a very smart way of putting it. But Vader was not so agreeable it seemed.

"You are a very good medic Dr Karrson, but as I have already stated, this is unforgivable."

With a groan, Luke stepped between his father and Harv. "Don't kill him for it. It's not his fault I'm so stubborn!"

Vader regarded him with what seemed to be confusion. "Be that as it may, he has disobeyed a direct order and must be punished. Would _you_ rather do it instead?"

"What? No!" Luke said, appalled that Vader could even suggest this.

"You dare defy me? This is not the way of the Sith." Vader growled, pointing in Luke's face.

"You're right! It's not!" Luke snapped back. "It's the way of Luke Sk –"

"Silence!" His father ordered, his voice sounding alarmed. Luke stopped and closed his jaw tightly, waiting to see what Vader would do now. The Sith Lord looked over Luke's head to Harv and said; "You are hereby relieved of your duties, Dr Karrson. Consider yourself lucky this is all the punishment you will receive."

Shocked, Luke turned to look at Harv, whose face was deadpan. "As you wish, Lord Vader," he said quietly. "It has been an honour serving you." He didn't meet Luke's eyes, obviously upset, and made to walk away.

"Wait, Harv!" Luke shouted and the medic paused. "I still need a doctor." He said sheepishly. Harv turned to the side, but he was looking at the floor.

"You heard Lord Vader; I'm fired."

"Then I'm hiring you." Luke announced. At this, Vader grabbed his arm and pulled him back firmly.

"You do not have the legal authorisation to do so, or the resources necessary to pay him. Now come with me, we have much to talk about young one." Luke shot an apologetic look at Harv as he was dragged into Vader's room, but it was not returned. As soon as his arm was released, Luke rounded on his father.

"What was all that about?" He demanded, staring up at the impassive black helmet. However, as soon as he did, his attention was drawn to the reflection of the black and white pod in the corner of the room, its image slightly distorted in the shiny surface of Vader's mask. His father was speaking and it took him several seconds to notice Luke was not paying attention.

"Your behaviour is incredibly foolish, Luke. Furthermore, if you do not show me respect in front of others, your cover will be blown. Do you understand the consequences of your actions?" Vader's voice trailed off near the end of that last sentence, but when Luke still did not look away from the pod, he asked, impatient; "Luke?"

"Harv won't tell anyone, he's my friend," Luke answered distractedly. "I've seen that pod before… You were sitting in it and you were…sad. Because you thought I was dead." He spoke softly, not daring to look back at Vader. He could practically already feel the Sith Lord's anger building up. Surprisingly though, his father was silent. "What is that thing?" Luke prompted.

"My hyperbaric chamber," Vader said. "It allows me to breathe without my helmet."

"That must be a relief." Luke commented, although Vader was silent again. "What is it like? Wearing that helmet?"

"I have come to terms with it, seeing as it is necessary to my survival."

"That doesn't really answer my question." Luke observed, but Vader did not say anything more. Amazingly, this whole subject had distracted him from the situation with Harv, so Luke remained silent too. He had another question to ask, but it was risky. But he looked at Vader for a few moments and sensed that he was at peace, at least relatively speaking, and decided to go for it; "Harv said you're my legal guardian."

The statement spoke for itself and Vader gave a short nod. "As you are still minor, you required somebody to take care of your legal documents. I would not trust anybody else with that task. Does this bother you?"

"You could at least have told me! But otherwise, no, it doesn't bother me. Won't it bother the Emperor?"

"The Emperor has other things to do than worry about trivial things such as this." Vader sighed.

"How do you know how old I am anyways?" Luke asked, suspicious.

"I know the date of your mother's death. Consequentially, I know which day you were born." His father told him this quickly, as if to get rid of the information and started on a new subject; "Now, seeing as you are already in here and that my meditation has now effectively been ruined, I suggest we begin this afternoon's training straight away."

Luke nodded, glad for a distraction. "Okay. Where are we going? Are we continuing what we did this morning?"

"No. We are staying here and will be practicing something far more subtle than moving furniture around." Vader paused and gave him a long, calculating look. "If you are able to complete this afternoon's training adequately and stop asking foolish questions, I have a… gift, for you."

Luke was tempted to ask where the real Darth Vader had gone, but he supposed that could count as a 'foolish question' so he remained silent, merely nodding fervently to show his enthusiasm at the idea.

Vader began without preamble, pacing around the room. "As discussed previously, the Emperor will arrive tomorrow. We don't have much time until he is close enough to sense your presence, and perhaps infiltrate your mind. There is no doubt he will attempt to do so. You must be ready. This afternoon, I will teach you how to build adequate mental shields that shall protect your most, shall we say, valuable, memories locked away from the Emperor's prying senses. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Luke said quickly, although he wasn't entirely sure that he did. "What do you mean when you say 'infiltrate' my mind?"

"It closely resembles what you feel when I connect with you through our mental bond, except that I do not try and read your mind. The Emperor will not be as soft as I am, and will undoubtedly try to steal your thoughts away."

Luke privately thought that Vader couldn't, under any circumstances, be described as 'soft', but he nodded anyway. "So these 'mental shields', they'll help stop the Emperor from seeing things I don't want him to?"

"If applied correctly, yes. But you must also work hard to dissimulate the shields, so he won't even know that you are indeed hiding anything."

"Sounds complicated…" Luke said, rubbing at his temples.

"It is a personalized technique I have developed myself." Vader answered coolly, making Luke smirk. Was he _boasting_ about it? His father had stopped pacing in front of him now and gestured for him to sit on the floor. Feeling slightly awkward, Luke did so and continued to watch the now very tall form of Vader, who was talking again. "Close your eyes. Gather all the memories and thoughts you do not want the Emperor to see and keep them all close to you."

His eyes fluttered shut and Luke began to think. _My name is Luke Skywalker. My father is Darth Vader. I grew up with my uncle and aunt, Owen and Beru Lars, until a Jedi by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi trained me to be a Jedi._ Luke gripped to these thoughts, letting the joy associated to them fill him up. He next thought of the rebellion, Han, Leia, the victory against the Death Star, his training with Yoda and all the recent conversations with his father. When this was done he pulled all the memories to the front of his mind and let them take the entire space they needed as he revisited each one.

"Good." Vader said slowly. His voice sounded far away. "Now, concentrate firmly on those memories." As Luke obeyed, fleeting images passed through his mind's eye; twin suns, hot and powerful as he played in the sand with his model T-16, Darth Vader standing before him, announcing he was his father, good times with the rebellion and Han and Leia, the cold surface of Hoth, a warm feeling as he shared a kiss with Leia, the swampy humidity of Dagobah and Yoda's wise, old face as he told him about the Force… Luke sighed, feeling content from all the happy feelings.

He opened his eyes again and saw Vader was now seated in front of him, on the floor too, no less. He didn't comment. Vader had new instructions now. "You must mark all these thoughts clearly and banish them to a secluded corner of your mind. It does not mean you will forget them," he said, seeing his son's face. "Simply that they will only be visible to you when you call for them, or that under intense circumstances, flashes of them may return to the front of your mind briefly."

Luke did as Vader told him, gathering all these memories and storing them away together at the back of his mind, at the same time realizing that they had managed to push back the darkness inside him for a short while. He had to remember that…

"And now," Vader was saying and Luke looked back at him, "you will force them away, build mental walls around them and solidify them with wisps of the Force. Use your anger towards the feelings in order to hide them." Luke closed his eyes again but frowned. The memories had just filled him with such happiness and now he was expected to feel angry with them? Vader probably sensed his confusion, for he added; "Remember how your guardians on Tatooine refused to tell you about your parents. Remember how your friends abandoned you, both on the Death Star, and on Bespin –"

"SHUT UP!" Luke shouted, standing up and clenching his fists. He realized a moment later that this was probably the worst thing he could have done, but to his surprise Vader remained seated on the floor calmly.

"Good." The Sith said, "Use that anger to build your shields. Think of what Palpatine would to do you if he found out the truth." Reluctantly, Luke sat back down and closed his eyes again. What _would_ the Emperor do? Kill him, no doubt. But what could be worse than that? Would he kill his father? Or – Luke felt like an ice cube had been dropped in his stomach – would he even force his father to kill him? The thought was terrifying and, surprisingly, inflated his anger even further.

He was even more surprised to find that his thoughts were now easier to hide away. Luke had no idea how long they sat there for, but eventually he felt like he had managed as best he could. His memories seemed faded and tucked away. Darkness purred as it stretched out into the newfound space in his mind, its presence seeping into all that was not protected.

"Impressive," he heard Vader say from afar. "Most impressive. Your shields are adequate. This took much less time than I would have expected. But now we shall see how much damage these shields can withstand."

Suddenly, Luke felt that dark presence invade his mind again, but this time it was ruthless. It tore at the insides of his brain, searching for any concealed truths. Luke was startled for a moment, and an image swam to the front of his mind; he was about six, sitting around a table with Owen and Beru. They were exchanging frightened glances as the younger Luke asked questions about his parents. The image flickered away, and now he was in his room at the homestead, crying into his pillow because his aunt and uncle didn't understand this _need_ he had to know about his family…

"Stop." Vader ordered, and Luke released a breath. The darkness slid away and Luke realised that Vader must have seen the memory as well. Feeling ashamed, he dragged the memory back into the tight walls of his shields and locked it away. But the damage was done. "You must be on your guard at all times, young one. That is of utmost importance."

"But you didn't tell me you were going to do that just now! You just hacked away at my mind like…" Luke protested, but he felt a wave of irritation coming from his father and stopped.

"The Emperor will not _tell_ you when he decides to infiltrate your mind. In fact, he will most likely do so rather subtly, so you may not even notice at first." Vader explained, before straightening. "Now, concentrate…"

Luke braced himself. This time he was ready, but the brutal presence tore at his shields again and Luke screwed his face as he tried to repel them.

"No," Vader chided, "do not try to stop me, let your shields do the work. You must not look like you are hiding something." Luke relaxed his grip a little and tried to concentrate on something else. _I am a Sith apprentice, Darth Vader is my master…_ He clung to these new thoughts, but abruptly a bright, glowing image appeared again. This time he was slightly tipsy from celebrating with his squadron and he found himself stumbling into an empty storage locker, laughing with Leia. He was filled with affection for her and suddenly, Leia's face was all too close and Luke felt her warm lips as she kissed him.

Luke growled as he felt Vader retreat from his mind again. The annoyance resonated through their bond. He hoped against hope that Vader wasn't about to comment on this, but…

"Was that a real memory?" Vader demanded, obviously hoping he had seen one of Luke's dreams, at least.

"Yes." Luke said, very reluctantly. "But it didn't mean anything. Besides, she's with Han I think. I hope."

"I certainly hope so, for your sake. Leia Organa is a traitor and not to be trusted."

Luke stopped himself just in time; he'd been about to start shouting again. "Please, don't say anything about her. Or Han. I don't want to talk about them." _Not with you, anyway_ , he thought privately.

"Very well, we shall continue this exercise. But now I will give you something to help. Close your eyes once more." Silence was installed back into the room, disturbed only by Vader's life-support system, and Luke cleared his mind, ready for another assault.

None came. Instead, he felt a rush of brand new memories, which swirled through his mind and latched themselves to any empty spaces they found. Luke caught flashes of a dusty, polluted planet. Piles of debris and mountains of rubble surrounded him and he was being forced into sorting out trash into different bags and boxes as harsh words and orders were thrown out at him. He was then eating in a very small building with hundreds of other children of all ages and species. The food was disgusting. Then he saw a dark shadow approaching, and a red blade shone through the thick, sooty air. Bodies fell all around him and a hand grabbed his, leading him away…

Luke gasped, only just realizing he had been suppressing a breath. He opened his eyes, but the images weren't gone. They remained in the folds of his mind as though they were his own, even though he retained the knowledge that they were not. "What… What were those? Were those your memories?"

"Not even close." Vader said, sounding amused. "These are images I have invented, representing the time you spent as a slave for junk-traders on Raxus Prime. Remember our conversation? This will be the story to tell Palpatine of how you came to be my apprentice."

"Oh…" Luke thought, as he viewed the memories again. "You invented these? What does that mean?"

"It means I am powerful enough with the Force to implant false memories into the brains of others. But you are powerful enough to keep in mind that they are not truly yours." Vader's explanations made sense, Luke thought. The memories were strong and vivid, almost like real ones. It was like he had watched a movie so many times he could recite it by heart and view the images again and again in his mind so perfectly.

"Are you ready for more?" Vader asked, and Luke nodded slowly. He closed his eyes as he did and immediately felt another powerful rush of memories. It was as though time was moving backwards, and suddenly it stopped. Frame upon frame of memories appeared in his mind now; he was a small child, probably still an infant, and living on the streets of Mos Eisley, begging for credits and scraps, agreeing to do small jobs in exchange for food and shelter from the sandstorms. This went on until he was a teenager, and he recognized himself about three years ago, but wearing rags and dusty shoes, being captured by some slavers and brought to Raxus Prime on board a great big ship. His younger self was amazed by the view of space, but frightened by the thought of what would happen to him now…

"Wow," he breathed, opening his eyes again and staring proudly at his father, "I think… I think I've got it."

Vader nodded. "I will now try to infiltrate you mind again, and this time, concentrate on the fake memories instead of trying to push my presence away."

Even though Luke was more than ready for it, he still buckled a little when Vader eased through the layers of his mind. This time it was like a voice was asking questions. Darkness held him tightly and demanded to know the truth. Luke concentrated on the fake memories, giving them all to the darkness. The presence seemed to be sniffing around for more, but Luke held on firmly to the images Vader had provided him.

"Very impressive, Luke." Vader said as he released his hold on his son's mind. "It was nearly as though I were searching the mind of somebody else entirely."

Luke beamed at this, but Vader did not comment, nor did he send anything through the Force. Instead his father got up and motioned for Luke to do the same. Silently, the Sith Lord walked over to the grand, ebony desk at the back of the room and retrieved something from a drawer. Luke watched curiously as his father came back. He was holding a simple wooden box, barely big enough to hold in both hands.

"Keep in mind that new memories may be added to the ones already under lock at any time. We shall speak about this further before meeting with the Emperor tomorrow." Vader said this all slowly, trying to capture Luke's attention, but it was in vain. Luke's eyes were glued on the box he was holding. Vader sighed, "You are like a child." He sighed. But a second later he handed the box over to Luke, who took it without hesitation.

He opened it slowly, and was surprised to find it contained only a small square datapad. Disappointment flowed through him, only to be replaced by shame at being dissatisfied by his father's gift. He'd been foolish to expect a lightsaber, and he didn't even know what the datapad contained yet. Delicately, he lifted the datapad from the box, which he set on the small table close to them. After glancing one last time at Vader, who was standing very still, he pushed the button to turn it on.

It was a hologram, and quite an old one at that. Two people were standing on a brightly lit terrace. A beautiful mountain and a lake could be seen in the background, but that wasn't what captivated Luke the most. The two people, a man and a woman, were hugging and the woman appeared to be laughing. The man's eyes were also shining with joy. The woman was very beautiful, with thick, brown hair, almond eyes and a kind face. She was dressed in a stunning, luxurious gown and had a headdress with flower petals. The man, however, was dressed in what Luke recognized as Jedi robes. His hair was a little shorter than Luke's, and a little darker, but his eyes were strikingly blue – the exact same shape and blue as Luke's own.

Luke's mouth fell open and he looked back at Vader. He felt dazed. The man standing in front of him wasn't, _couldn't_ be the same man as in the old hologram, could he?

"Your mother and I, shortly after we were married on Naboo." Vader said quietly, and Luke smiled at the thought. His father had loved her.

But he stared at the hologram again, thinking. They had been so happy then, it seemed. What could have happened?

"The Clone Wars." Vader sighed, and Luke's head snapped up to him again.

"I thought you said you couldn’t read my mind." Luke said accusingly.

Vader chuckled. "I didn't. Your thoughts at this moment are quite loud."

Luke didn't know how thoughts could be loud, but he didn't care to ask, too busy staring at the hologram. His fingers stroked the screen so he touched his mother's face as he whispered. "I wish I'd known her."

Sadness that wasn't his filled him as Vader spoke. "She would have loved you very much."

He stared at his mother's face and had to hold back a tear. But he nodded. He then looked at Anakin Skywalker. He seemed so happy and kind, quite unlike the image Darth Vader projected. "How old are you here?" He asked timidly.

"Not much older than yourself." Vader sighed, as though reminiscing.

Luke stared again at the frozen hologram of his younger father, hesitating to ask his next question. "Would he have loved me?" He paused to take a deep breath, then mumbled, "Do you?"

There was a long silence, and then Vader lifted an arm to place his hand on Luke's shoulder. "You know I cannot answer that." He said slowly. Luke nodded, but smiled; that answer was as good as a 'yes' as far as he was concerned. He lifted his shoulder up slightly to nudge against his father's hand as he held the datapad close.

"Thank you," he said. "I'll keep it safe."

At this, Vader's hand left his shoulder and the Sith took back the datapad quickly. "I never said you could keep it."

Luke felt like a part of himself had been snatched away, as if he'd suddenly noticed there was a big, dark hole inside him. He hardly even cared that he was pouting; didn't his father understand that he needed more than just five minutes to look at the hologram? He needed more like five whole days, really. But Vader's tone of voice was final, and somehow shocked. And then Luke realised; that hologram must mean so much more to Vader than it meant for him. Luke had never known Padmé, and even though he desperately wanted to, he had no memories of her at all. Vader on the other hand, probably missed her every day.

Despite what his father had said – that material possessions were worthless and that being too emotional and dwelling on the past was not the way of the Sith, he had just proven to Luke right now that a small part of himself didn't quite believe it.

So Luke merely nodded sadly and allowed Vader to escort him back to his room.

**.**

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	12. Chapter 12

It had been another restless night for Luke. Try as he might, sleep refused to come through the nightmarish visions he couldn't keep out of his head. Faces kept coming to him; first the three pilots, then the frightened admiral and finally, the terrified and bewildered faces of his friends as they watched him, saw what he was becoming. This last vision was of course imaginary, and Luke hoped it wasn't one of his premonitions.

He wouldn't let it become true.

And then there was this single thought that kept returning to him… He was going to meet the Emperor today. Until now it had been an eventuality, set in the very near future... Now however, as he lay in bed sleep-deprived and with bloodshot eyes, the situation towered over him menacingly. It was coming, and coming fast. In a matter of hours, Luke would have to stand in front of the most powerful man in the galaxy and lie to his face. And then, only then, would he be allowed to stay with his father.

Vader had said they would talk again before the Emperor arrived, but it seemed that all he needed to learn had been covered. Technically, Luke was ready; he just wished the mynocks currently fluttering about in his stomach knew that. His limbs felt like lead, and he was still in bed! What would he be like standing in front of the actual ruler of the galaxy? Vader had seemed satisfied with his ability to repel the darkness from infiltrating his precious memories, but would it fool the Emperor?

If merely a sliver of one of Luke's dangerous memories or thoughts escaped his shields, he was dead. That was a fact. Vader had made it perfectly clear that the Emperor would not negotiate. Luke shivered slightly and turned over in his bed.

The light of the slowly rising sun hit him in the face as he did, since the curtains had not been drawn tonight either. Luke finally knew why he didn't want to sleep with the curtains drawn. The lights of the city comforted him. They were so mysterious to him and his farm boy upbringing, and they kept him from total darkness. His waking world was already so dark; he didn't need his nights to be like that too.

Maybe it was foolish, but he was scared of sitting alone in the darkness of his bedroom. Just like a child. His father had accused him of being just like a child only yesterday, as he had felt impatient to receive the gift. It wasn't far from the truth. Luke had often felt like this over the past years. Everyone seemed to expect him to act so grown up, but inside he still felt like a helpless kid. The only person who seemed to realize this apart from himself was Han. Everyone used to call him Luke, or Lieutenant-Commander Skywalker, but never Han.

Luke wanted to smile at the thought, but found he couldn't. Once again, the dark monster inside snapped at him, keeping away any emotions unfamiliar to it. Darkness did not care about others and, as its slave, Luke no longer had any friends.

But Luke cared about his father, that much he knew. Otherwise he wouldn't have allowed himself to be pulled into this whole situation. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to imagine what things would be like if Vader had never learned of their connection. No doubt would he still be working with the Alliance. He'd still be after Vader for killing his father, but he would have received better Jedi training on how to control his anger by now. And then, perhaps he'd be bent on defeating Vader and the Emperor, as Obi-Wan had told him it was his destiny. Luke didn't like the idea of destiny. That was one aspect of the Force he and Han had always agreed on – everyone should have the power to choose their own fate.

Luke yawned softly and turned on his other side, seeking that cold part of the bed. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep now though. If his internal clock was worth anything, Vader would be in here telling him to get up pretty soon.

Indeed, not five minutes later the door to his room opened with a hiss and the sound of his father's respirator filled the room. Luke mumbled to himself and pulled the covers higher over his head, feigning sleep, but his Sith father was not fooled. "Get up Luke, I know you are awake."

Very reluctantly, Luke sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed as he rubbed his eyes. He was hyperaware of his father watching him as he clumsily gathered up his robes, which were still in a pile on the floor, but it seemed the Sith didn't want to get into that argument again today. Instead, Vader tossed him a new bundle of clothes. "You will wear these today. And in the future, call for a droid to take your clothes down to cleaning when they are dirty instead of letting them lie around."

"Sure." Luke replied as he looked at the new robes. They seemed exactly the same as the old ones.

"Now, take a shower and we'll head down together."

"Where are we going?" Luke asked, already nervous.

"There is a ceremony tonight for the return of the Emperor," Vader explained, and Luke thought he sounded rather irritated, "as well as a banquet. I will appear to be overlooking some of the preparations, giving you the opportunity to take a look around. There will be a strict etiquette of conduct and I advise you not to anger anyone."

"As if _you_ care for good manners!" Luke scoffed.

"I may not care, but the Emperor does and it would be unwise for you to appear foolish in his presence. No previous apprentice of mine has ever failed to make a good impression in public; remember that."

Luke paused and stared at his father for a moment. Finally, after letting the awkward silence draw on for long enough, he whispered; "Previous apprentice?"

Vader's stance seemed to slacken at this. "I have had several apprentices in the past, most of them kept secret from my master. My last apprentice was the most successful, but ultimately they have all suffered the same fate."

"And what's that?" Luke asked warily, certain that he already knew the answer.

"Palpatine made me dispose of them." Vader answered, and Luke felt his presence brush against him, as though soothing his worries. "It will not happen again. You have more potential than any apprentice I have ever brought before my master." Still not convinced, Luke fidgeted a little and Vader added; "I will not let anything happen to you, son."

Luke longed to believe him, to accept that his father may feel something for him. The presence in his mind was still there and it warmed him inside somehow. Luke gave a small smile, but didn't answer. The moment was too perfect to ruin it by speaking.

After a while, Vader straightened. "Go clean up, Luke, and be quick. My patience has already begun to wear thin."

"It's barely even oh-eight-hundred! It's gonna be a long day…" Luke smirked, but Vader didn't answer, so he walked off to the fresher and hurried to take a shower.

When that was done, he wasn't surprised to see his father was still standing in the same spot as before. Luke looked around, wondering why they weren't leaving, but Vader had more to say it seemed. "There are a few things you must know about the Emperor. Do not speak to him before he speaks to you, and you must bow to him once you enter the room. Furthermore, you must always call him 'Your Highness' or 'Majesty' or 'Excellency'. Is that understood?"

Luke sighed softly and nodded. Vader's attitude towards the Emperor wasn't helping him to be less nervous.

"You must also know how to bow adequately. If all goes well, he will no doubt ask you to submit yourself to him." Vader fell silent, watching Luke with his unnerving blank stare, and Luke nodded after a few moments. "Get on your knees slowly."

As he obeyed, Luke felt slightly foolish. "Good," Vader said, "Now curve your back, place both your hands firmly in front of you and lower your head above them."

Luke did it slowly, trying to ignore the stab of annoyance it caused inside. The darkness did not want to bow to anything. Not a moment too soon, he heard Vader open the door swiftly, so he got up again. "That was acceptable. Will you remember that or do we have to practice it again?"

"No it's fine." Luke replied, trying not to sound bitter. Vader did not comment.

Before long they were heading down to the main area of the Palace. There were a lot more guards and important-looking people than the last time Luke had been here. He looked around curiously, but still remained behind his father, staying close to the Sith's billowing cape, enveloped in the shadow that had gained him his nickname here. It still sounded strange to him, _Vader's Shadow_ , but it sounded like a title at least, and that might be more intimidating than 'Luke' to some people. It could be useful to him, he supposed.

He followed his father through several long corridors and numerous sets of tall doors flanked with Royal Guards. Those masks still freaked him out, Luke noticed as they passed the silent, red-robed guardians.

They came to a stop just inside a ballroom so huge that Luke's breath hitched and he had to crane his neck to look at the impressive chandelier hanging above them. Vader turned so that they were face-to-face and Luke took a step back; he'd been a little too close. He wondered briefly whether his father had heard of Luke's new title, or any of the rumours apparently flying about, and whether or not he cared.

"Stay in here and behave yourself." Vader told him quickly, before walking out in a swish of black cloak. Luke blinked at the now empty space in front of him, and sighed. The ballroom was imposing, but he became quite uninterested after a few moments of looking at it. It was so richly decorated and intricate that he couldn't help but feel out of place. There were so many starving people and poor planets out there, yet the Imperial Palace was stacked to the ceilings with riches. It just didn't seem fair to him.

Luke was already bored. He looked around at the few people also in here, but they were all older and he doubted they’d appreciate him bothering them. Suddenly, a delicious scent wafted towards Luke. He quickly located its origin: there was already a long table full of food set up, and two people were standing near it, having a conversation over some breakfast.

His mood improving dramatically, Luke rushed over to the table and began shovelling fruit and pastries of all kinds in a plate. He then proceeded to stuff his face quite shamelessly, having only now realized how hungry he was. A sleepless night tended to do that to you. As he ate he couldn’t help but overhear what the people near him, two men in their forties, were saying.

"Will Nevik be here tonight? I haven't seen him in a while." One of the men, who had a formidable bread, was saying.

The other one was bald and had a grave voice; "I'm afraid not – I heard he was appointed Admiral of the _Devastator_ yesterday. He left sometime last night." Luke's attention was drawn in by the name of the Star Destroyer; it had been mentioned in the meeting he'd attended yesterday.

The first man had a surprised look now. "Wasn't Wermis in command of the _Devastator_? What happened to him?"

The man with the deep voice gave a grand laugh, but it sounded wholly un-amused. "Mulchive Wermis? He was disposed of yesterday afternoon. Haven't you heard the story?"

The bearded man shook his head, and Luke tensed. He knew now what they were talking about, and didn't wish to hear it, but something kept him from rushing off. So he stayed rooted to the ground as the bald man told the tale briefly. "It was at a meeting yesterday. It seems Lord Vader was displeased by the decisions Wermis took regarding the _Devastator_. He'd ordered a search in the Sullust system, but we may have lost the rebels' trail because of Wermis."

The other man winced. "So Lord Vader… you know… Strangled him?"

"That's the strange part, actually," the tall man telling the story said, and Luke quickly looked away so they wouldn't notice him listening in. "Honestly, I don't know where you've been – everyone and their mother has been telling this story since yesterday! Well anyway, to make a long story short, it seems Lord Vader has a young apprentice and that he was actually the one who punished Wermis."

"An apprentice?" The smaller, bearded man asked fearfully.

"Yes. People are calling him Vader's _Shadow_. Imagine that. I heard he didn't look anything like you would expect, too. Just a young man with blond hair, dressed in black robes. They say he’s covered in bruises. Probably Lord Vader’s own doing."

Luke shifted uncomfortably at this and forced himself to keep looking down at his food. He wasn't very hungry anymore, as memories of yesterday's murder came back to him. And now, to make it worse, he knew the admiral's name. The two men near him were now speculating on whether or not this _Vader's Shadow_ person was going to attend the ceremonies tonight, and Luke decided he'd had quite enough. He tried to walk away slowly and made himself as small as possible, but he suddenly sensed that one of the men had noticed him.

It was the taller man with the deep voice who turned to him and gave him an appraising look. "What are _you_ doing here, boy?" he asked.

Luke tried to keep in mind what his father had told him about strict etiquette and conduct, but the man's casually-thrown out question got on his nerves. He spun around and grit his teeth slightly. "Waiting for my master," he replied in a dark, cool tone of voice he hadn't planned on using.

It had the desired effect however; the two men glanced at each other with wide eyes and the one who had spoken to him took a step back. "F – forgive me, I didn't mean to –"

Luke sighed and stopped glaring at the man. He rather extended his hand formally. "No, It’s alright. Here. Name's Luke."

The man looked intrigued, but shook his hand anyway. "M – Moff Villis Andal, at your service."

Luke nodded and extended his hand to the other, shorter man. The man shook his hand too, and mumbled a name that Luke didn't really understand. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?" Luke said friendlily enough, but the man only muttered a simple apology that he had to be somewhere else and hurried off.

Blinking, Luke stared back at Andal, who was smirking. "Do excuse him," the Moff said, "He knew Admiral Wermis quite well. I think he may be in shock."

Luke was slightly taken-aback by the Moff's blatant tone, but had to admit it was a nice change from people being afraid of him. He didn't know what to say regarding the death of Admiral Wermis, so he remained silent, waiting to see what the man would do next.

"You're certainly hungry." Andal said suddenly, peering down at the plate of food Luke was holding. Luke was even more at a loss for words at this. It appeared the Moff was sizing him up.

"Well, training with Vader will do that to you." Luke answered with a small smile. If anything, the Moff only looked even more fascinated.

"You don't really belong here in the Palace do you?" Andal asked, stroking his chin as he did. "Your accent… It sounds distinctly Outer Rim."

Luke was about to reply something along the lines of 'you could say that', when he heard approaching footsteps from the right and a deep, mechanical breath. He turned and saw his father walking towards them. It was impossible to figure out what the Sith's mood was, so Luke forced his face into what he hoped was a look of casual indifference. Vader came to a halt very close to the Moff, who twitched as though he wanted nothing more than to take a step back, but did not dare to do so.

"I see you've met Moff Andal." Vader said in a grim voice.

"Lord Vader!" The Moff forced a smile. "What an unexpected pleasure. I haven't seen you in a long time."

"I have been off-world for over two years. You would be aware of this if you took any interest in the political scene instead of remaining lazily on Coruscant and spreading rumours around." Vader answered, and the Moff's face soured. The Sith then turned his head down to Luke and barked; "Come, Luke."

Thinking that it wouldn't be wise to anger his obviously already annoyed father, Luke turned away after giving Moff Andal a brief look of acknowledgement. The man gave him a strange smile, and Luke hurried after Vader, who was nearly at the door already. Once they were in an abandoned corridor, Vader starting talking again. He sounded angry.

"Moff Andal is a lazy coward and a politician – in other words, not to be trusted under any circumstance."

"I didn't know." Luke replied irately. "How do you expect me to know things like this if you don't tell me?"

"Why were you talking to him anyway?" Vader demanded, disregarding Luke's question completely.

Luke sighed. "I overheard him and some other guy talking about me killing Admiral Wermis yesterday." He glanced up curiously at Vader, but the Sith had no reaction so he went on; "Did you hear about the nickname people are giving me?"

"Nickname?" Vader grunted, sounding surprised.

"Yeah. Apparently there are some rumours going around –"

"I do not care for Palace rumours, and neither should you." Vader interrupted, sounding annoyed again.

Once more, Luke sighed. "I don't _care_ , it's just something I heard. But it seems people are calling me your… well, 'Vader's Shadow'. And that other man who was with Moff Andal – he practically scampered at the sight of me."

Vader stopped walking, nearly causing Luke to crash right into him. "Maybe if you didn't follow me around like a shadow, this would not have happened." He said, sounding vaguely amused. "Besides, people are going to be afraid of you Luke. You must use that to your advantage as I do."

"You mean torture and torment people until everybody wets themselves at the mere mention of your name?" Luke retorted, frowning.

There was a long silence, and Vader's hollow breaths seemed slower than usual. "That," the Sith Lord said quietly, "was incredibly immature of you." Vader then turned and continued walking, so Luke had to hurry to catch up again. It was very clear that Luke was not to speak again unless he had a very good reason, so he wisely stayed quiet until they reached a new room, which was full of people.

"Can I trust you enough to act your age for the rest of the day?" Vader asked offhandedly as they stepped into the crowded area. Luke nodded, feeling annoyed, and took his place in the dim space behind his father.

Being Vader's Shadow had its advantages though; nobody spoke to him the entire time they were there.

**.**

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**.**

Night had already fallen when a small man with the jumpy appearance of a rodent approached Vader silently and saluted. Vader recognised him as one of Palpatine's messengers. He had felt his master's presence as soon as the elderly Sith had landed of course, and had immediately alerted Luke, so the boy could start shielding himself from the threat.

"The Emperor requests your presence in His Majesty's throne room immediately, My Lord." The man said with a short bow. Vader dismissed the man with his hand and looked down at Luke. His son looked a little pale, but otherwise all right. He briefly touched at the boy's mind and found apprehension, but the shields seemed to be well in place.

Obediently, Luke followed behind him as they walked the long distance between the public receiving rooms and the Emperor's throne room, which was located in the highest part of the Palace. Vader noticed how there seemed to be an abnormal number of guards along the walls today. Either things really had changed a lot since last he was on Coruscant and security was now even tighter, or Palpatine had felt Luke's enormous Force presence and was already wary of it. The latter would not be a good sign. Palpatine didn't like surprises; he liked everything to go as _he_ planned, as _he_ wanted.

Luke was a major disturbance in Palpatine's carefully lain out plans for the galaxy.

Finally, they reached the immense golden doors of the Emperor's throne room, and Vader stopped Luke with his arm. "Stay here and wait for me to fetch you. I think I had better lay down the terrain before presenting you." Luke merely nodded, which Vader suspected must be because he was too nervous to speak. He dared not pat the boy on the shoulder or show any sign of outward care, for Royal Guards were stationed near the doors and these men were extremely loyal to the Emperor.

After giving his son one last look, Vader pushed open the doors and entered the dark chamber. It was a vast and long room, lined with Imperial flags and containing, at the end, a dais raised by ten steps. Palpatine's throne itself was a majestic piece of furniture, though one Vader didn't care for. When he became Sith Master, he would have Luke crush it into a pile of dust.

Behind Palpatine was a large circular viewport with a grand view on Coruscant's Imperial city. Light flooded from behind him, but seemed to stop inches away, as if his own natural darkness prevented it from reaching him. The hood of his robes cast a particularly large shadow over his face when he was seated so high, but those yellow eyes of his still gleamed out at Vader like suns.

Palpatine sat in his throne lazily, obviously comfortable. No one could deny that he seemed to belong there at least, but Vader felt a familiar pang of hate at the sight of his master. They had not met face-to-face since his report on the Death Star; Vader had both needed and enjoyed the time away. He and his master had been growing apart for years. All the camaraderie that used to exist between Anakin Skywalker and the Chancellor, continued only through the early years of their Sith apprentice-master relationship had been based on a lie. Vader looked into those yellow eyes and thought of Padmé's death. He had _not_ killed her.

However he cleared his mind of any useless thought and emotion and focused on the task at hand as he approached the dais. There was no such amity between them both now. He bowed low, crouching until his knee touched the ground, and spoke slowly; "Welcome back to the Palace, my Master."

"Rise, my friend, there is no need for tedious acknowledgements. I understand your attack on Hoth was fruitful?" The elderly Sith seemed agitated. No doubt he already knew something was going on. Vader was sure he must have felt Luke's presence as soon as he'd entered Coruscant's atmosphere, if not sooner. His master's eyes were alert and piercing.

"Yes, Master. The rebels have sustained great losses at the hands of my Death Squadron. Their facilities in the Vergesso asteroids have been eliminated and the remnants of their battalion have last been traced to Sullust. My fleet awaits your orders." Vader spoke calmly, hoping to soothe his master's rapidly growing impatience.

"This is all very well, Lord Vader. But why then are you not on board the _Executor_ , systems away from here? You have never seemed to require my permission to hunt down rebels before, and if so, you could have contacted me on board your ship." Palpatine spoke accusingly, and Vader smirked; there was no fooling his master, as always. He recalled Palpatine's unspoken warning two years ago, that Vader should not return until the rebellion was dealt with. The only reason they were both here now was because of Luke. The Emperor had ben away from Coruscant for some unknown reason lately, and Vader knew he had only returned now because Vader came back without permission.

Palpatine's sulphurous gaze was trained on him, and Vader did not break the contact. This was crucial: his master always seemed to know when Vader would not meet his gaze, despite the mask.

"Master, prior to the attack on Hoth, I was investigating a situation on Raxus Prime. It provided me with information regarding some of the rebellion's suppliers, though it turned out to be quite worthless. But while there, I encountered a…" He paused, for effect.

"Yes?" His master's sharp voice goaded, clearly interested now.

Vader smiled. If he played his cards well, Palpatine would not be furious at his discovery, but rather intrigued. "I have encountered, to put it mildly, a highly Force-sensitive individual. He was unaware of his dormant power and ignorant about the Force."

Palpatine was silent for a brief moment, before rasping; "Who is he?"

"An orphaned boy being used for cheap labour by the raxian junk-traders, Master."

"In short, a slave." Palpatine said. Vader did not miss the accusation behind this statement, but wisely remained silent. "Lord Vader, I sense your, ah, _personal resentment_ towards slave traders might have been much more powerful than your actual interest in the boy's Force potential."

"Not at all, Master." Vader replied, too quickly. Palpatine's eyes seemed to shine even brighter in the gloom at the old man's silence following Vader's slip spoke much louder than words. To rectify his mistake, Vader added; "Forgive me Master. I meant only that this boy may indeed be of some use to us. I have no doubt that once you meet him, you will agree." He was aware of the dangerous nature of his statements, but decided to risk it. One did not outwardly _assume_ Palpatine would agree with them and expect him to be happy about it.

But his master smiled, pulling thin, pale lips over ugly teeth. It was an empty smile as always. "Very well, bring him before me." Palpatine sighed, feigning indifference.

Vader bowed his head, stood and walked over to the doors, which opened to reveal a nervous Luke. He yearned to soothe the boy, to tell him everything was going to be fine, but it would be exceedingly foolish to show any form of connection to him in front of his Master. Luke followed him to the middle of the room in front of the platform and stood at his side, facing the Emperor. Vader gave another short bow, leaning the upper half of his body, and Luke mimicked him.

Apparently not displeased yet, the Emperor smiled again and addressed Luke. "What is your name?"

This was it. The decisive moment. Vader watched as Luke kept his face calm as they'd practiced and replied with controlled nervousness. "My name is Luke, Your Highness."

The Emperor huffed at once, and the very air around them seemed to shake. " Is that all? I am not to be toyed with, boy. "

Luke trembled visibly, but answered. His voice shook slightly. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. My name has always been only Luke. I was orphaned at a very young age and my masters never bothered to call me by any other name."

"I see." Palpatine hissed, his ochre eyes narrowed, letting the words draw out longer than was necessary as he always did when he was in deep thought. The lie seemed to escape his notice however, as he moved on to another topic. "How has your time with Lord Vader been playing out then? Where do your loyalties lie?"

Luke glanced briefly at Vader with wide eyes, but he didn't look afraid, merely confused. Vader thought it was very well done. "I have known oppression and cruelty my whole life as an orphan on Tatooine, and then as a slave on Raxus, Majesty. Lord Vader took me upon his ship and offered me a better life; for that I am grateful and indebted to him and to you. He has told me of my potential in the Force and I will pledge myself to your teachings if you only grant me the opportunity."

Another smile tugged at the Emperor's lips. "A very well recited monologue." He noted, and Vader felt a tiny twinge of panic, but it went unnoticed as Palpatine's eyes were fixed on Luke. "However I sense truth beneath it. You have great anger, boy. You seek revenge… I see what you mean Lord Vader, he could become powerful." He paused to observe them both, his yellow eyes gleaming. "However," he croaked, "as I am sure you know, I have a very busy schedule and therefore no time to take on any additional learners. Unfortunately, I think this boy should not be granted the opportunity. I shall not train him."

This was what Vader had been waiting for; Palpatine's dismissal of the boy – his cue. But he had to be careful. "Master, if I may. What if I were to train the boy myself?"

Palpatine looked down at him sharply, his eyes suddenly narrowed. "I believe we discussed your strange desire to take on new apprentices last time this happened, Lord Vader. Perhaps I was mistaken, but I was under the impression you had learned from your mistakes."

"Master, this boy is not like the others. He could wield exceptional power!"

The Emperor leaned back in his throne and his face relaxed as he waved a hand in front of him. "I fail to see anything _so_ special about him." At these words, Vader hung his head, waiting. He knew he would soon have what he desired; it couldn't be long now. "But I will indulge you." Palpatine finally sighed, his expression unreadable. "You may train the boy as you see fit. I wonder however… Do not lie, I know very well you intended all along to take the boy yourself. Why did you bring him before me? This is quite unlike any of your past apprentices."

"As I said Master, this one is remarkable. I wanted to offer him to you first." Vader replied with practiced ease. His master smiled and returned his fiery gaze to Luke, who was standing straight as a nail and looking down at his feet.

"Boy," he hissed, "your new master is powerful and there is much you can learn for him, but never forget this; he also has a master. Me. Ultimately, your true master is me, and the Force. Now bow, state your allegiance to the Empire."

The boy gulped and cast his eyes to the side, apparently not daring to meet the Emperor's eyes, and slowly, so slowly, he bent down in a completely submissive bow. It was as Vader had shown him: his palms flat on the floor before him, his head so low his nose almost touched the ground and the curve of his back perfect. "My allegiance is to the Empire, Your Highness. I will not fail you."

"I certainly hope not, for your sake. The punishment for betraying me is great, boy. I expect only the highest loyalty from my servants, as Lord Vader must already have warned you." Palpatine waited for Luke to stand up again, then added; "Incidentally, I wonder… Has your new master told you of the connection you share?"

Vader definitely felt a flutter of panic now, but to his immense surprise and relief, Luke answered calmly, albeit with a touch of curiosity. "Connection, Your Highness?"

"Yes. You have much in common. Were you born on Tatooine?"

"I… I think so. My earliest memories are of Tatooine."

Palpatine smiled even more at this, his lips stretched thinner than ever. "Then you should have an interesting conversation with Lord Vader ahead of you, seeing as you are both slave boys from the Outer Rim." He paused here to watch their reaction, but Vader was stoic, and Luke merely cast a curious look sideways at him. "Now, before you leave, I daresay we can expect both of you at the feast later tonight?"

"Of course, Master." Vader interjected before bowing again. Luke copied him and they left the throne room together.

They walked in silence all the way down the highest tower until they were back in the privacy of the west wing. Only then did Vader speak.

"That could hardly have gone any better. You did very well, Luke."

His son was looking down at his feet and when he spoke, the words were mumbled. He was still in character, Vader supposed. "I… yeah, I guess. When are we leaving Coruscant?"

"Why the hurry?" Vader asked cautiously, watching his son's reaction closely. Luke didn't answer. "Very soon, we will return on board my flagship."

"Okay." Luke said, finally looking up. "I just feel like… this whole sham will be too much if we stay here too long. I'm scared I might let slip something."

"You won't." Vader reassured him, placing a heavy gloved hand on his shoulder. Luke gave a small smile, and Vader felt something pass through the Force that he couldn't quite understand. But it made him uneasy so he took a few steps back and distractedly said; "I will fetch you when it is time for supper."

He then walked away after opening Luke's bedroom door for him, avoiding his son's gaze.

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	13. Chapter 13

The Imperial banquet was an awkward affair for Luke. He was seated at his father's right, near the end of the Emperor's table. Most of his time was spent trying to understand the order in which the countless utensils had to be used, and avoiding other people's gaze; most notably, the Emperor's. The old Sith was busy discussing some undoubtedly boring things with the Moffs and Governors seated around him, but once in a while his yellow eyes would zip to Luke's as though searching him. Luke would then concentrate vaguely on the fake memories Vader had provided him.

As Vader had explained, the Emperor's Force presence was much more subtle than Vader's. He could barely feel it inside his own mind. Whereas Vader felt like a huge, black void, the Emperor was better compared to a tiny, but very sharp piece of ice. The meeting in the throne room had gone better than he had envisioned, admittedly, but the mere memory of it still made him feel nervous.

Trying not to worry about the Emperor watching him, Luke looked around and suddenly met eyes with Moff Andal, who gave him a strange kind of smile again. Luke immediately looked away and focused on his food. He didn't recognize half of what was being served, but most of it was quite good. He was trying to eat everything in his plate but he was still rather sick from worry. As he glanced sideways at Vader, he saw that he wasn't eating anything either. In fact, no food had been placed in his plates at all. He looked very out of place sitting at a dining table, so Luke looked away before a laugh could escape him. He then tried a sip of the deep red liquid in his glass and found it that was wine.

Luke didn't like wine; it was too fancy for him. He'd always preferred beer and, on occasion, that incredibly strong Corellian brandy Han insisted on drinking. He froze, on the verge of reminiscing about getting drunk with Han, Chewie and Wedge. What was he doing? The Emperor was seated barely six feet away! He shook his head minutely, and concentrated on something else. He looked down the table at some of the other guests and noticed bitterly that there were no other species than humans.

The service was over at last after a hearty portion of cake, which was, to the Emperor's apparent delight, Nubian.

Happy to be allowed to leave the table at last, Luke hurried off as far away as he could from the Emperor. He decided to go outside on the large balcony and take a breath of fresh air.

The balcony had a view on the private gardens situated in the middle of Imperial Palace. Luke wondered why the Emperor bothered to have a garden; he didn't seem like the type to spend much time outdoors. But the smells of all the different kinds of flowers wafted up through the warm air as Luke leaned on the railing and watched the city lights from afar. It soothed him somewhat. Evening glowed here on Coruscant, quite unlike Tatooine where night time was as black as Darth Vader's mask.

He sighed happily and closed his eyes, letting the Force flow through him. Freedom was right there, lain out before him and full of life and lights. He could leave this palace, find a ship and fly away if he really wanted to. His father trusted him enough to let him out of his sight for a few minutes now, which would be more than enough to escape. But he couldn't. Darkness seemed to tighten its grip around him for even suggesting it. Any joy Luke had been feeling – from the warm, sugary wind in his hair, or the sudden quiet moment he had to himself – disappeared beneath the cold rippling surface of the dark side.

His eyes felt like they would burn with tears again, so he opened them. Then, as he sighed and looked up at the stars, he felt something rustle behind him.

He whipped around and placed his hand on his hip, even though he had no weapon there, and squinted into the shadows of the balcony. Warm light flooded on the floor tiles from the still open doors of the ballroom, but the terrace was otherwise full of cool shade. And there was no one in sight. Luke eyed the twin bushes on each side of the door suspiciously. There hadn't been any gusts of wind, and their leaves were tightly trimmed together so it seemed unlikely they had produced the sound.

Or maybe Luke was just being paranoid. His father must be rubbing off on him in more ways than one… He turned away slowly and forgot about it, staring out to the tall, sparkling star-scrapers in the distance. A moment later he actually felt a presence, and he jumped back.

He came face-to-face with a woman dressed in tight black clothing. She must have been about his age, and was looking at him with piercing emerald eyes. Luke stared at her shamelessly for a few moments, before remembering where he was. "Hello… you um, startled me. I'm Luke."

The girl surveyed him for a moment before turning to walk a little ways away and leaning on the railing above the gardens, too. Her hair was a flamboyant red and it shone in the dim light flooding in from the Palace behind them. Luke blinked in the darkness, then smirked. "C'mon, you gotta have a name?" She didn't answer, nor even glanced at him, so Luke came closer. It occurred to him vaguely that he had no idea who she was; she could be dangerous or, as his father would surely put it, untrustworthy. The girl finally turned her head to stare back at him once he had stopped short of a meter away from her, but her gaze was calm and unconcerned.

"I didn't see you at the feast." Luke observed in an attempt to find a subject that might compel her to respond to him. "I guess you don't care much for fancy dinners either, right?"

She still wasn't speaking, but her eyes were fixed on his, so he supposed that was a good sign.

And then, suddenly, she took a sharp intake of breath and said, in a perfect Coruscanti accent; "I suppose not."

Grinning, Luke straightened, pushing his palms against the railing. "So you _can_ talk!" The girl seemed to purse her lips at this, and didn't say anything else, so Luke started talking again. He felt like she was listening to him anyway, and it felt good to have someone to talk to, somebody who felt like an equal. Somehow, implicitly, he felt like he could trust her. "I was forced into this whole banquet thing anyway. I grew up on Tatooine – I dunno whether you know, it's in the Outer Rim, couldn't be any further from civilized society – so I really have no idea about all the rules of etiquette and things like that."

He trailed off, noticing that the redhead was now smirking at him. "I _know_ who you are," she said in a vaguely superior tone of voice. "You're Vader's new pet."

Luke stared at her. She was the only other person he'd ever heard refer to his father in such a casual and dismissive way. However, he resented being called a pet. He’s take ‘Shadow’ over that any day. "That's a new one…" He looked into her green eyes again and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Who are _you_ anyway?"

Before the girl could answer, if she was even going to, a hollow breath cut the silence of the balcony. Luke groaned slightly and turned to face his father, who began to speak immediately. "You should have told me you were out here. Now come, we're leaving."

Luke reluctantly stepped away from the railing, his eyes still on the girl. As he watched, she assumed a tight stance and seemed to leer at his father. "Vader," she acknowledged.

The Sith turned his mask to her briefly, uttering a sharp, "Jade." He then looked back at Luke and gestured for him to come. With a sigh, Luke followed, though his mind was busy wondering at the fact that Vader and this girl, Jade, seemed to hate each other. Before reaching the door he turned around to look at her again. She was giving him another one of her calculating looks so he waved at her.

"See you around, Red." He said and was pleased by the way her eyes narrowed. She huffed and turned her head away to look down at the gardens, leaving Luke to catch up with his father.

He knew he was probably in for it, as his father's mood didn't improve even when they were up in the higher levels of the palace, far away from the red haired girl. Luke bit his lip; he always seemed to get into trouble for things he didn't even know about. It wasn't _his_ fault.

Indeed, Vader turned to him once they were in their private, dark corridor of the west wing. "That woman is very dangerous Luke," he said gravely. "She is Palpatine's Hand, an assassin. She reports directly to him. I hope you didn't say anything incriminating."

Luke's eyebrows shot straight up. "No way, how can she – I mean someone like her… I mean…" He gave up trying to explain what he meant, and settled on saying; "I didn't tell her anything. And what's a _Hand_?"

"The Emperor has a fair amount of highly trained assassins and con-men. That particular one has been on my bad side ever since I met her –"

"Isn't everyone?" Luke interjected slyly, but was ignored.

"– and she seems to think herself beyond my grasp. But mark my words, the day she gives me a reason…"

"I didn't tell her _anything_ alright, leave her alone." Luke said quickly, then attempted to rectify himself; "She wasn't very talkative anyway."

"I should think not." Vader chided. "Now, go prepare yourself; we leave Coruscant tonight. I've received an important call from an associate regarding a situation we must attend to right away."

This lifted Luke's spirits considerably and all thoughts of the red-head assassin vanished. "Wow, okay! Um… prepare what? I don't have any belongings."

"Very well," Vader sighed, "you may accompany me for lift off preparations."

Feeling that his luck might finally have turned around, Luke nodded and followed Vader. It was hard to believe that only this morning he'd been worried about meeting the Emperor, when now he was on his way back in space with his father – flying, where he belonged.

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The hangar was busy with activity as take-off was imminent.

The Imperial shuttle they were taking to the _Executor_ , which was still in orbit above the planet, was settled in the middle on the hangar and people were tending to it on each side. Luke wanted to help, but Vader's assistants and mechanics had disregarded him completely.

So now Luke was sitting on some crates, watching everything from afar. Stormtroopers were stationed everywhere, and Luke wondered idly if Grumpy, Grouch and Crank were in here. Even if they were, Luke wasn't sure he could recognize them or that they would want to speak to him anyway.

As he watched all this, movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to look and froze on the spot. It was Harv, holding a great stack of files and leaving the hangar. Luke gaped at the medic, who hadn't noticed him, and his mind raced. In barely three seconds he'd formed a plan, and he ran over to him. "Harv! Hey, Harv!"

Harv leaned over in his direction curiously, but when he saw who it was, he quickly looked away and started to walk faster. Feeling somewhat dejected, Luke slowed, but still caught up with him easily. "Hey, I've been looking for you!"

"Really?" Harv asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well, yeah. Vader decided to give you your job back. We only just settled it and I was kind of worried I wouldn't find you before we left! Come on, we're taking off at twenty-three-hundred." Luke was surprised when Harv gave him an uneasy smile.

"You… Really? But I was just clearing out the last of my office and nobody thought to inform me."

"Because I only just managed to convince Vader. You should hurry and get on the shuttle. Do you need any equipment from your office? I can help you pack your things if you like."

Harv shook his head. "I'll have everything I need on board the Star Destroyer. The equipment doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the Empire."

"Oh…" Luke said distractedly. He looked around, making sure his father wasn't in eyeshot, then accompanied Harv on board the shuttle. The medic's quarters were small, but seemed comfortable enough. Harv kept staring at him, as though still amazed by Luke's determination. It made Luke slightly guilty, as he imagined Harv would find out he had lied soon enough, but at least he'd be back on the _Executor_ doing his job.

Now that Harv was settled in his quarters, and had thanked him many times, Luke set about searching for another medic. He was sure Vader must have appointed a new one, and he must find him before the man got on board the shuttle too and caused confusion.

It wasn't hard to find someone wearing a medic's white uniform in the sea of black and grey officers and pilots, and Luke soon located him: a tall man with a bristly moustache who looked like it wouldn't take much more than a gust of wind for him to fly off. Luke approached the man slowly, taking his time to take on a confident and hopefully intimidating expression.

"Excuse me sir, were you recently appointed the new medic for the _Executor_?" Luke demanded in a tone of voice he'd often heard his father use, and the man immediately looked confused and wary.

"Yes, sir, that's exact." The man replied, looking over Luke's clothes in search of a grade badge. He was still wearing his black robes, so of course there were none.

"I am sorry to inform you that there has been a mistake. The position has already been filled."

The man raised an eyebrow. "What? What do you mean –?"

"I _mean_ , doctor, that you are dismissed." Luke said coolly, but the man didn't seem impressed.

"May I speak with Lord Vader? He appointed me himself." He looked proud of this fact, and looked around them as if Vader was standing right there somewhere.

"Do you know who I am?" Luke asked in a soft voice. "I'm Vader's Shadow, his apprentice. Lord Vader is busy right now, so this task was given to me. I do not like to repeat myself, medic. You are dismissed." The man's face went from confused, to frightened, to unaffected. Luke saw that he was about to speak again, so he did the first thing that came to his mind; he raised a hand and very lightly gripped the man's throat with the Force, just enough to give him a stern warning. The man's eyes went impossibly wide and he uttered a short gasp.

Luke released him, and the doctor gave a few heavy breaths. "I – I – Of course! Forgive me…"

"Apology accepted," Luke said wearily, turning back slightly as a silent indication that the conversation was over. "Now I advise you to leave before Vader sees you. That would be unfortunate." He smiled in satisfaction as the man bowed to him and hurried out of the hangar. In his chest, the dark side purred. A vague hint of self-loathing came swimming to the surface of his emotions; a voice asking quietly, _what have I become?_

He dismissed it. Maybe it was the dark side, but for one of the first times ever, it had felt right. Besides, he hadn't done it for personal reasons, he was helping out a friend.

Luke got on board the shuttle and was pleased to see that Harv was still among the crew, and that Vader had not noticed him as of yet.

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Leia sighed into her pillow. It felt like she'd only just managed to fall asleep, when something unknown tugged at her conscience and woke her. She looked around sleepily, wondering whether a light was on somewhere, or if Han had gotten up, but the room was dark and she could faintly make out the form of the smuggler sleeping in the bunk opposite her. They were in tiny rooms, three or four per room for lack of space.

Everything was silent, if you didn't count the snores of her Corellian and wookiee companions, so Leia was at a loss at what could have caused her to wake up. They'd been on Sullust for weeks now, awaiting the reports from their spies in the Imperial Navy, but Leia still had a lot of sleep to catch up on. It wasn't normal that she should wake up like this for no reason. She could have just forgotten about it and rolled over to fall asleep again, but something told her this was important.

There was an itch beneath her skin and she began to feel worried. Sitting up, she fumbled around for her coat and her boots, which she slipped on silently. Her hair was loose, slightly tangled, and it stuck to her face; she brushed it impatiently with her fingers as she thought things over. Something felt wrong, like she felt they were in danger. There was something about the word _felt_ that reminded her of Luke. Hadn't Luke always known when something was about to happen? Hadn't he always 'felt' it through the Force?

She stood and crossed the room before even deciding where she was going, and suddenly there were footsteps outside the door. Her heart hammered as she went over to open it.

One of the guards assigned to the night shift was standing in the doorway with his hand up as though he'd been about to knock, looking surprised. "Your Highness, you're up late."

"I was getting a glass of water," Leia told him offhandedly. "What's going on?"

"I have just informed Miss Mothma and Admiral Ackbar – an unknown ship has landed on the surface."

"Have you attempted to communicate with it?" Leia asked warily. The man shook his head.

"Of course not. But I think you should come to the conference room. We're discussing it there."

"I'll be out in a minute. Thank you, officer." She gave him a curt nod and closed the door. Crossing the room to Han's bed, she turned on the bedside lamp there and watched the features of his face shift. This made her smile; smugglers were always on their guard even as they slept. She shook him slightly and he woke up at once.

"What time is it? What's goin' on?" He mumbled, looking around.

"We're having a meeting. Come on." She looked away as he scrambled out of his bunk half-naked and groped for his shirt, instead glancing at the sleeping form of Chewbacca. "Should we wake Chewie, too?"

"Nah," Han grunted as he searched for his boots under his bunk. "Furball gets cranky. I think it's best for everyone if we let him get his sleep."

They set off silently for the conference room.

Mon quickly filled them in as they approached. Everyone was leaning over a monitor and seemed engaged in an intense debate. "Leia, Captain Solo – glad you could join us. Less than an hour ago, an unknown ship landed right above the base. It is still parked there and no being of any kind has yet emerged. We've identified it as a Firespray-31 class, but we are still trying to determine to whom the ship might belong…"

Intrigued, Leia rounded the table and looked down at the monitors. She recognized the ship at once, but didn't resent Han for saying its owner's name before she could. He knew him better than her, after all.

"Boba Fett! What's he doing here?" Han said, his eyes wide.

Mon and Ackbar both seemed surprised that Han knew the ship, but he was quick to explain. "That's Fett's ship. He's a bounty hunter who's after me. We escaped him on Bespin, but he must have tracked us… It's probably safe to assume he knows we're here."

"Bounty hunter?" Ackbar's blunt voice called out from the corner, "That can't be good."

"He works for Vader." Leia said quietly. "The _Devastator_ may not have found us when it passed here, but if Boba Fett's located our base, we can expect the entire Death Squadron to show up here soon." She glanced around at everyone; they all looked so tired and defeated. Nobody had gotten much rest in the past days, worrying that the Empire would find them, worrying that their spies in the navy might have been discovered and any intel was now lost…

"We'll have to evacuate." Mon sighed, looking around. "It's a little earlier than planned, but we may still have a chance to reach _Home One_ safely if we leave now."

"I agree," Ackbar stated, standing up. "Wake everybody quickly, but let's not cause a panic. The Empire isn't here yet."

Leia turned away and followed Han back to their room. The smuggler was fuming; "That scumbag Fett never gives up. I bet he hates Vader too, but the pay's probably good…"

"Calm down Han, we're evacuating… It won't be like Hoth. We have a bigger head start this time." Leia said, placing a hand on his arm. She wanted to believe they would be alright, but in the end, it was like Hoth wasn't it? Suddenly, she remembered what had woken her up. Had she somehow felt this coming? Mon had said Fett's ship landed here less than an hour ago. Had Leia felt the bounty hunter arriving? "Han…" She said nervously as they entered the room, where Chewie was still peacefully snoozing away.

"What's up?" Han asked distractedly as he started to pack some things.

"I have something to tell you. Please listen, you might think I'm going nuts, but –"

" _A_ lways a good opener." Han interrupted, grinning, and Leia shot him an impatient look.

"Just listen. Minutes before they came to tell me about the meeting, I woke up with this strange feeling. It was like I knew something was going on, and we were all in danger." Han's face was unreadable. "What do you think?" Leia prompted, slightly bothered by his silence.

"What I think? I think you're starting to miss Luke a little too much." The smuggler sounded very serious now. "Look, Luke was… well he _said_ he could feel things before they happened. Maybe he could, I dunno, but that was Luke. The Kid always was a little weird. And you, well, you're not…"

"I'm just telling you what happened, Han." Leia said coolly. The subject of Luke had been touchy ever since they'd seen that broadcast. "He always said the Force was everywhere. Maybe now I'm feeling it too."

Han gave her a strange, long look, but finally shrugged. "Maybe." They then packed in silence for a few minutes, but Leia couldn't stop thinking about Luke now.

"I'm scared Han." She finally admitted. The smuggler was already done packing and had just been about to face the task of waking up Chewie. He paused and looked back at her, prompting her to continue. "What if Vader shows up again. And what if Luke's with him?"

Han's face fell slightly and he approached her. "Even if he is, Luke's on our side remember? I don't care what anybody else thinks about what we saw on the news. The Kid's smart; he's probably biding his time with Vader. It's probably a damn sight better to hang around with him for a while until he manages to escape instead of being tortured in a cell because he's refusing to speak."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Han, don't you get it? Vader's his father! Who knows what he could be telling him." She was nearly whispering now, afraid that somebody might overhear their discussion.

"Yeah, well…" Han scratched his temple slowly. "Luke never showed any signs of wanting to go running back to daddy did he? I don't think he'd listen to anything he says."

Leia chuckled despite the situation; Han was so nonchalant about this whole thing. "You're impossible." She said, closing the space between them and pulling him into an embrace. Han didn't answer, but she thought she felt him smile. His lips were pressed upon the top of her head.

Behind them, Chewie gave a particularly loud snore and Han groaned.

"C'mon pal, time to wake up!" He said, clapping his hands together loudly as he walked over to the wookiee. Chewie was most displeased, roaring in protest when Han shook his shoulder. "I know, I know, you need your beauty sleep! But the Empire found us again – c'mon – darn, no, Chewie don't go back to sleep –"

Leia smiled as she watched the Corellian attempting to wake Chewie again for another moment, and then went to oversee the evacuation procedures.

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The viewport of the _Executor_ was immense. Luke stood in the centre of it on the bridge, his attention completely focused on the glowing sphere of Coruscant below. He remembered only too well the last time he'd been in this exact spot, watching the planet. So much had happened in a week that it seemed unreal to him. The dark side was much more than a vague feeling in the back of his mind now. He was doing this. It was inevitable now.

The workers all around him kept shooting him wary glances and he knew why; the spot he was standing in was usually Vader's. Nobody on the _Executor_ would doubt his rank and authority now. His father had been giving orders to the captain and admirals, but was now approaching the viewport. Luke shifted aside carefully, allowing Vader to reclaim all the space he wanted and once they were settled side by side comfortably, the Sith spoke.

"The journey to Sullust should take a large portion of the night by hyperspace. You may remain on the bridge with me if you wish."

But Luke suddenly felt cold inside and his voice was small when he managed to ask; "We're going to Sullust?"

Vader's helmet turned a fraction to the right as though regarding him curiously from the side. "Yes. I imagine you are familiar with the bounty hunter Boba Fett?" He paused, but didn't really leave any time for Luke to do more than nod, "He has done what Admiral Wermis failed to do, that is locate the rebel base on Sullust. He contacted me earlier and confirmed their presence."

Luke was silent and forced his gaze to remain fixed upon Coruscant. Vader's voice was a dangerous growl when he next spoke. "I hope your feelings on this matter are clear, Luke. You will be expected to obey my every order during the raid."

He closed his eyes and shuddered with the effort of containing his feelings. He wanted desperately to say no and be damned with the consequences, but once again, something prevented him from doing so. A boiling anger rose inside his chest as he thought of his friends this time, not love, nor even camaraderie. But darkness threatened to choke him, so he stayed away from those particular feelings. "I understand." He whispered.

"Good," Vader said, "This will be your first real test out in the field and it is safe to assume that the Emperor will be interested in the results." Luke merely nodded again, still watching Coruscant. The mention of the Emperor had just pulled a recent memory to the front of his mind, one regarding his father's origins. "I sense you are troubled, young one." Vader stated, and Luke shrugged.

"I…" He glanced around at all the people on the bridge, then looked up at the obsidian mask. "May be go somewhere private?"

His father gave a curt nod and they marched off the bridge into a deserted, dark and severely under furnished room. Luke was getting a little tired of these. "What is on your mind? Be aware that the Emperor's presence is still within range."

"I remember the Emperor talking about things we have in common. Something about us being 'slave boys from the Outer Rim' – what was that…? I mean, was it true?" Even as he spoke, he vaguely recalled the memory of Vader holding his dying mother in his arms.

"The Emperor was trying to trap me into having an awkward conversation with you. Little did he know just how many those have already transpired between us." Vader stated, cunningly avoiding the issue, or so he thought.

"Err, right…" Luke said vaguely, frowning. "But I really want to know. Please."

Vader sighed, a strange noise through the respirator. He seemed resigned to the fact that he'd have to answer this eventually. "I spent the first decade of my life on Tatooine with my mother. We were both slaves until a Jedi freed me and brought me to Coruscant."

"Slaves?" Luke repeated quietly, surprised. It was very difficult for him to imagine his father as a slave. Admittedly, it was also impossible to imagine Vader as a child. Even the holo he had seen of his father as a young man didn't quite add up with the image he had of the present-day Sith Lord. In his mind, it was as though his father had simply sprung into existence, mask, cape and all.

"Indeed. I think Palpatine was merely referring to the fact that we both come from humble origins, but are very powerful with the Force. Despite all he said during the meeting, I have every reason to believe that he agreed with me. With adequate training, you will become more powerful than he could ever be."

"But then, why would he allow me to be trained if he thinks I could overpower him?"

Vader paused and looked to the side for a moment before answering. "One day you will understand the lure of the Dark Side. Palpatine is attracted to power. He will let you live as long as he believes that you will betray me for him one day, thus remaining loyal only to him. That is why our relationship must remain hidden until the very last moment."

"So he doesn't know that I will always be loyal to you no matter what?" Luke asked, to resume what he understood of the situation.

"Will you?" Vader asked in a strange, small voice. To his surprise, Luke felt a great deal of emotion radiate from his father in that moment. It seemed his previous statement had touched him. He nodded firmly and found that it wasn’t quite a lie;

"Always."

Vader placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly, before turning away and leading them away.

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The alarm sounded throughout the base, causing Leia to jump. Preparations for evacuation had taken hours, but they were almost done and Admiral Ackbar had assured them there was no need to panic, so this could only mean –

"The _Executor_ has just entered the system. Everyone to their stations. I repeat; The _Executor_ has just entered the system…"

The clear voice of Crix Madine announced through the overhead coms, sounding calm, but installing panic in Leia's heart. It was as she had feared, and _felt_. She'd known this was coming, but she couldn't tell anyone except Han. She was a princess and a senator; she could not suddenly start telling people she was Force-sensitive. People would start spreading rumours that she could become a Jedi, and that would be dangerous.

She rounded a corner and nearly bumped into Han. "Whoa, princess! I was just lookin' for you – are you leavin' on the _Falcon_? I mean, I understand if you'd rather take a ship with Mothma, or –"

Leia grinned, interrupting him. "Of course I am, you scoundrel." This earned her an equally large grin from Han. "Where are Chewie, Artoo and Threepio? Is the ship ready?"

"The _Falcon_ 's always ready for anything. Now c'mon…" He grabbed her by the hand firmly and they raced together to the outside cave serving as a hangar. They donned oxygen masks before leaving the safety of the base, and quickly located the _Falcon_.

As they approached, Leia was already aware that something was out of place. Chewbacca and the droids were outside the ship, and the wookiee was fiddling with some things inside an open vent. Leia wasn't very good with mechanics, not as talented as Han was in that area anyway, but she knew enough to see that there was a problem. Han nudged Chewie when they reached the ship, "What are you doing? We have to leave!" The mask muffled his voice, but his irritation was still noticeable.

Chewie barked a few things in reply, and Han froze. "What d'you mean _broken_? Couldn't you have fixed this before? We've been here for how long!" He was obviously very angry now, and Chewie answered strangely softly. Han then shook his head. "You may have only noticed it when you started the engine, but it can't have broken while it was just sitting in this cave!"

A few more growls were emitted from the wookiee, and Han threw his arms up in the air with an exasperated sigh before grabbing a tool in order to help him.

"Excuse me, sir," Threepio started, shuffling closer. "If we hurry, we may be able to get on board another ship to leave this dreadful place."

Leia shook her head, knowing this was surely the wrong thing to say. Indeed, Han turned to the protocol droid slowly, seemingly unable to fathom how he could even suggest such a thing. "And leave the _Falcon_ behind? No way. I'm not leaving until she's fixed so if the Empire catches me, then so be it. My fate will be the same as my ship's."

"With all due respect, sir, the _Millennium Falcon_ is only a ship. Chewbacca informs me it may take up to an hour to get the TLB power converter repaired; I think in light of the circumstances, our lives are more important."

Han made a movement like he wanted to hit Threepio, and Leia gently held him back. "Ignore him," she murmured, aware of the smuggler's dislike for the golden droid. She wanted to say he had a point though, but she knew Han would never abandon his ship.

"You should leave." Han said confidently. "You should leave with the others while you can. You're more important to the rebellion than I am, you can't be captured. I’ll find a way to get out, I’ll –"

Leia was touched, but the thought of leaving Han behind was inconceivable. "No," she answered. "Not without you."

He gave her a grim smile and looked like he was about to speak, but somebody interrupted him; "How sweet." Everybody jumped and turned to look, but Leia had recognized that voice instantly. Boba Fett was standing a few feet away, holding something that looked suspiciously like part of a power converter. Han lost no time in drawing his weapon, but Fett held up a hand, training his own blaster upon Leia. "Try anything Solo, and the princess gets it. Then we'll finally find out which one of us is the fastest shooter."

Han muttered something in Huttese under his breath that sounded distinctly like a swearword. His eyes were narrowed. "Leia's worth way more alive to Vader than dead."

"Thanks a lot, Han." Leia said dispassionately.

A short, amused laugh came from the bounty hunter. It was hard to tell, but he may have been cocking his head. "My bounty's on the ship and you, Solo. Not the girl."

Chewie started screaming something at Fett, but Han shot him a look; "No Chewie, stay cool… Even if we take him out, the ship's still broken." He then looked back at the bounty hunter and crossed his arms. "What now, Fett?"

"We wait. Empire should be down here any minute now." Fett sounded mildly bored. " Nothin' like a perfectly lain-out trap."

"You know," Han started, in his best sleazy voice, "The Alliance could offer you way more than Jabba the Hutt."

The bounty hunter was silent for only a moment, as though considering it. "Unless you can match Darth Vader's reward, it's a no go, Solo." When Han fell silent at this, Fett added; "Nice try."

Silence fell over the whole hangar now. Chewie had stopped tinkering with the broken converters, and even Artoo wasn't making a sound. Daylight was nearly upon them now, and soft sunlight was beginning to tone down the harsh artificial lamps of the cave hangar. Leia was avoiding everyone's gaze, in deep thought over what was going to happen to them now. If Vader got a hold of them this time, she had no idea how they could possibly escape.

But the thing that made her most uneasy was the possibility of Luke showing up. The blond had been – no he still was her best friend. She didn't want to think of what could have happened to him, what Vader could have said to corrupt him. That single image of him following the Sith Lord on the news simply wasn't enough to prove anything in her opinion. People like Mon and Madine might be ready to give up on him, but she sure was not. She had always been taught that loyalty was earned and Luke had earned hers through two years of service in the Alliance. He'd proven himself more than trustworthy.

It would take more than a frozen image on a news broadcast to sway her faith in him.

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	14. Chapter 14

The shuttle was parked upon the rocky surface of Sullust and troops were emerging in carefully aligned ranks, ready for orders. Boba Fett's vessel sat upon a smooth rock a little ways away, its impressive silhouette imprinted against the hazy green clouds of mist and noxious gas in the distance, through which the first rays of sunlight could be perceived.

Darth Vader stood at the bottom of the boarding ramp, observing the scene. He was standing quite still, but was busy relaying orders. The early morning darkness seemed to deepen around him and suddenly, an elongated shadow crept from behind him. Luke slid away quickly and silently. He wearing a hood but the gas mask on his face was only just distinguishable beneath it. Reminding himself all too much of his recurring nightmare, Luke continued his descent down the cliff's façade slowly. Surreptitious, he went unnoticed in the misty shadows by most of the passing stormtroopers.

It didn't take him long to reach the bottom, where none of the troops had managed to escalade to yet. He could hear voices, so he flattened himself against the rock and gripped the hilt of Vader's borrowed lightsaber concealed within the folds of his robe. He refused to call it _his_ lightsaber. Nevertheless, he drew it and held it close to his body, at the ready.

Several X-Wings had already left the cave and shot into the sky; two squadrons were already away, but the TIE fighters up around the _Executor_ would deal with those. The next, and final, squadron would suffer quite a different fate. He treaded softly into the cave, keeping to the shadows, following the dark impulse of his beating heart. Dawn had truly begun now, but it still wasn't light enough for all traces of night time to have disappeared. He kept to the shadows and, from his position, he could see the pilots from the final squad preparing for their own escape.

After only a moment's hesitation in which he closed his eyes and concentrated firmly on the feeling of the dark side of the Force inside and around him, Luke stepped out from his corner and stood straight, in clear view of all the pilots. Before anybody could do more than stare, or indeed say anything, he ignited the lightsaber and swung it at the nearest pilot. They fell to the floor abruptly and all of a sudden every blaster in the hangar was trained on him. There was a spilt-second of silence before laser shots exploded towards him from every direction.

Luke leapt into the air, somersaulting around the hangar using the Force, which obeyed his commands easily. Every time he touched the ground he turned and disarmed a new pilot, who tried in vain to avoid his red blade as it was unleashed upon them. There was a ringing sound in his ears, drowning out all the shouts and pleads from the pilots.

All too soon only three of them remained, but they had dropped their weapons and were holding their arms in the air – their blasters were out of ammunition. Luke lowered into an attack stance, but froze when one of the pilots spoke. "Luke…?" It was then that he realized his hood had fallen back.

"Luke…" The pilot's voice sounded pained and his eyes were full of something Luke strained to understand. He felt like he should know what that feeling was, that he had known once, but he couldn't remember right now. He looked at the man carefully, as though for the first time, and saw who it was. How could he not have recognized Wedge? The older pilot was regarding him with such sadness and betrayal that Luke was momentarily distracted, allowing the two other pilots to jump into their X-Wings and fly off. They shouted something at Wedge before they left but Luke didn't hear, so busy was he contemplating the fact that he hadn't even recognized one of his best friends…

Wedge was backing away now, obviously intending to make his escape too, but Luke shook himself. A part of him wished he could let his old friend go, perhaps even leave with him, but darkness pulled his leash and he was forced to act. He took a step forward and Wedge’s eyes darted to his X-Wing, but finally he seemed not to dare try to get to it. Instead, he ran off to the left, into what looked like an adjacent cave.

Growling, Luke rushed after him.

The next cave was relatively empty. Only one ship stood in its belly – the _Millennium Falcon_.

Luke's breath hitched as his gaze met large brown eyes. He came to a halt in the middle of the cave and lowered his lightsaber a fraction of an inch. Leia and Han were standing just outside the boarding ramp of the _Falcon_ along with Chewbacca, Artoo, Threepio and Wedge. The little astromech made a series of happy beeps and made to come towards him, but Threepio wisely held him back. Luke forced himself to keep a composed face. He had known they would all be here, and he had thought he was ready.

Clearly he'd been wrong.

That's when he noticed Boba Fett standing next to the _Falcon_ , too. He was holding a blaster to the group, and a power converter in his other hand. Fett took a small step towards him, though he still kept an eye on Han and the others. "They'll all yours, Vader's apprentice."

So even Boba Fett knew who he was. Vader must have told him. Luke smirked and gave a short nod of acknowledgement. Leia had a look in her eyes that tore at Luke's heart. His betrayal was probably hardest on her. However, some things never changed…

"Luke! Kid, what're you doin' here?" Han's voice, though muffled by the oxygen mask, was unmistakably enthusiastic. Even if Luke had wanted to, he would not have known what to answer. He was standing before them dressed in black robes, holding a red lightsaber during an Empire raid of their base and he'd just killed about a dozen Alliance pilots. On top of that, he apparently had a deal going on with Boba Fett. How much more evidence did Han need against him?

Leia was the one to point out the foolishness of Han's words. "Han! Look at him! He's on Vader's side now. Stop being an idiot." She had taken a step back so she was halfway behind the imposing form of Chewbacca, and Wedge was holding her by the arm. Han's face fell a little as he continued to watch Luke, but he didn't move.

"Luke," he said, addressing him directly again and looking him in the eye. "It's not true is it? I know it can't be. You pretended to be on Vader’s side for a while, that’s all. Right?" He looked both confident and hopeful, but Luke didn't answer him. If he was honest, he didn't even know the answer to that himself. His only response was to let his gaze drop to the side.

"No…" said the smuggler softly. "No! Come with us Luke!" His offer was ludicrous, and Luke nearly laughed out loud.

Boba Fett saw the funny side; "Go where, Solo? Don't forget your ship's actually a useless heap of junk now." As he spoke he twirled the converter around in his hand.

"Yes!" Leia shouted, ignoring the bounty hunter's remark. "Yes, come back with us Luke. We can help you."

"It's tempting, really." Luke heard himself say sarcastically, as though from far away. His voice sounded too mature and too dark, nearly similar to Vader's because of the gas mask covering the lower half of his face. "Maybe you should make a run for it while I'm still hesitating." As if to further stress his point, he drew the red lightsaber higher and crouched down a little more.

Han was shaking his head and he took a single step in Luke's direction. Wedge suddenly spoke out, his voice broken and fearful. "Han – Luke killed all the other pilots in the west hangar. He did it without hesitating." Leia twitched at Wedge's words and when Han took another slow step, she lunged forwards to stop him, grabbing him by the arms. The Corellian let himself be pulled away, but he was still staring resolutely at Luke.

Something about their helplessness and his power over them made deciding his next move a lot simpler. Maybe if Fett hadn't been there it would all have played out differently, but with the bounty hunter as his witness, he found his role much easier to play. He nudged his head at Fett; "Go find Vader; tell him he may want to take a few troopers along. And give me that converter."

Fett muttered something about 'takin' orders from a kid now' but gave a short nod and turned away after passing the converter to him. Luke waited until he was out of the cave before looking back at them all. To make a point, he levitated the converter in front of him in mid-air and crushed it like it was nothing. Han gave a cry of protest, but it went ignored.

The silent moment that followed was very awkward. After a while, Leia apparently felt the need to make it even more so by speaking. "Why are you doing this Luke?"

He didn't answer, so Han tried something. "I should shoot you, ya know." As he spoke he tilted his blaster so it was pointing at Luke, but the threat sounded entirely half-hearted.

"Do it, then. But don't be surprised if I retaliate." Luke said harshly, causing Han's roguish grin to disappear. He held back a chuckle though – he really would have sounded too much like his father, then.

"I would be very interested to know what Vader could possibly have offered you to turn you to his side." Leia said conversationally, eyeing him with utmost contempt now. "That is, if you ever really were on our side."

Han whipped around to face her. "How can you even say that, _of course_ he was on our side!"

"Who knows?" Leia retorted. "Maybe he was Vader's agent all along. His father's s–"

"ENOUGH!" Luke bellowed, before even thinking it through. His calm façade was cracking, his already fragile grip on lucidity threatening to slip. "You don't want to make me angry." He said, staring deeply at Leia. "Just, please, don't make me angry." To be honest, he didn't know what he would do if that happened. If he allowed the dark side to completely take over him, they might all be dead before even Vader reached the cave. It hurt, but he mustn't let his friends distract him. His warning seemed to have done the trick though: Leia's jaw was firmly shut and she looked a little nervous. Somehow, only Han still had the capacity to smirk at him.

"Well _I_ _’m_ not giving up hope on you, Kid." Han said confidently, and Luke was saved the need to reply by the sudden arrival of his father. Vader strode into the hangar swiftly, with purpose, followed by four stormtroopers. Luke flicked off the red lightsaber and put it back in its place, standing straight once the Sith Lord reached them. He stopped at Luke's left and surveyed the group and the ship in front of him in that usual manner of his, with his thumbs tucked into his belt.

His breathing pattern sounded slower than usual as if he were really taking the time to grasp the situation. Han's whole body had tensed and he had stepped in front of Leia protectively. She looked absolutely terrified now, as did Wedge.

After several moments, Vader turned to his troops and gave his orders. "Take them all to a shuttle. They are to be brought on board the _Executor_. The Princess, Captain Solo and the two droids are not to be harmed, but the wookiee and the pilot are expendable." The stormtroopers saluted and hurried to bind everyone. Luke was staring at the ground, unsure of his feelings. He didn't know what he had expected from his father. Praise, perhaps? That was foolish. Vader rarely praised him, and never in public. Besides, a large part of him didn't even want to be praised; he'd sold out his best friends for stars' sake!

_It was necessary_ , the dark side assured him. Luke closed his eyes.

He jumped, however, when his father touched his shoulder briefly. "You did remarkably well Luke." He told him as quietly as his mask allowed, so the others wouldn't hear. Luke felt his body twitch in annoyance, but he nodded. He still refused to meet his father's eye though as they walked together, preceding the stormtroopers and the prisoners. The air, though still toxic, was a little less misty above the cave now that the sun had risen. Their Imperial shuttles still stood in the same spot, as did Fett's own ship.

Incidentally, the bounty hunter was tailing them like a dog eager for its reward. It was grating on Luke's nerves, so he could only imagine how his father must be taking it. Now that they were in plain daylight, Luke noticed how everybody's eyes were upon him. He was tempted to lift up his hood again, but there would be no real use now that everybody had seen him. After a moment he realised he was walking behind Vader once again, so for once he hurried out of it to walk calmly next to his father.

They boarded the shuttle in silence, and the trip back up to the _Executor_ was similarly quiet. It was a relief to remove the gas masks however; Luke's face was all sweaty. He forced himself to look out the viewport the entire length of the trip, avoiding his friends, whom he knew must still be trying to catch his eye. Chewbacca kept growling things to Han, but each time he did there was a sound that suggested somebody had hit him. Luke grit his teeth at this.

On board the Star Destroyer, square ranks of troops had been aligned for their arrival and Admiral Piett was standing close by. "Welcome back, Milord. I see the expedition was successful." He eyed the assembly of prisoners rather distastefully. Vader ignored him and addressed the troopers. "Take them to the detention centre." The troops saluted, but before they could leave, Vader turned to Luke and added; "I will trust you to watch over them."

Luke's breath seemed to catch in his throat, but he swallowed it down to hide his surprise and straightened his posture. "As you wish," he said. He then remembered one of Vader's previous orders about how to address him in public, so he quickly added, "Master."

Vader didn't answer, but Luke felt a wave of approval from him. Luke turned away and faced the troops, who nodded and set off with the prisoners. Leia's eyes were wide and sad, and Luke instantly regretted looking at her. He quickly forced his attention on something else and saw that Artoo and Threepio were still with them. Vader had not given any orders regarding the droids, but he had specified that they were not to be harmed so they must be important to him. Artoo was trailing along slowly and kept whistling in what Luke could only guess was curiosity. The little astromech was known for remaining calm even in dire situations like this; or maybe the hopeless nature of the predicament was lost on him.

The detention block was lined with small, cold and dark cells. They were all identical to the one Luke had spent a week inside not that long ago and he was relieved when they passed that particular one. The troopers stopped to unlock three different cells. It appeared they were going to separate them. They moved to place Leia with Artoo, Han with Threepio and Wedge with Chewie. The wookiee did not take kindly to being dragged away from Han and roared angrily, brandishing his strong arms. Even though they were bound tightly together, he was still very imposing and one of the troopers had jump out of his way to avoid injury.

Another one remained calm and held up his blaster which, Luke saw, was not set for stun. "Quiet you filthy beast." He said, pushing Chewie hard into the cell. Han protested loudly at this and tried to get to the wookiee, who had wailed in pain at the trooper's action. Another one of the stormtroopers held the Corellian back and hit him in the ribs.

"Rebel scum." He spat at Han, who was seething.

Without even realizing what he was doing, Luke threw up an arm in direction of the trooper, who was pushed back down the remaining length of the corridor violently. There was a horrible crack when he hit the wall a small distance away and once he reached the floor, he didn't get up again. The other troopers took a step back from him, momentarily letting go of the prisoners.

"You have orders not to harm them! Know that the consequences of disobeying me will be no less severe than with Vader."

The trooper who had hit Han was not impressed apparently. "He told us the wookiee was expendable!"

"You did not only hit the wookiee, trooper. And, Vader asked me to watch over them all. How will I do that if they’re in separate cells?" Luke asked in a dangerous voice. There was silence, and then the three troopers moved to do as ordered. Han and Chewie were suddenly very cooperative. Luke was still boiling with anger when he stepped inside the cell too. Behind him the troopers left, but not before scooping up the still immobile one and dragging him along with them.

Luke did not feel bad about it. How dare his father do this to him? He knew Luke was still touchy on the subject of his friends and the rebel alliance. It had already been established that Vader was not fair with him, but this was still rather humiliating. The cell door closed and Luke leaned against it. He played with the lightsaber at his belt absent-mindedly, losing himself in the cold numbness of the darkness. It was very welcome.

"What happened to your hand?" Han asked, effectively breaking the silence. Luke frowned, wondering what he meant, but a moment later he realized – looking down at his right hand he saw that some of the artificial skin had worn off, exposing the wiring underneath. It must have happened earlier in the cave when in contact with rocks.

He allowed himself a strange smile as he answered. "Vader cut it off."

Silence fell again and this time Luke looked at them. Leia was avoiding his gaze now, Han was staring as though fascinated by his prosthetic, Chewie was growling to himself in the corner and Wedge was watching his feet with wide eyes, obviously troubled. Threepio sat next to Artoo and was patting the astromech's dome with his hand. They all seemed so quietly resigned to their impending fate, which was strange. Normally they should all be trying to take him down, but he supposed it was too early for them to be trying to do that yet. Or maybe Luke's previous displays of Force powers and the apparent shortness of his temper were keeping them in check.

"What's gonna happen to us?" Han demanded suddenly, still looking Luke in the eye.

Luke sighed. "Well, Boba Fett's got a bounty on you and the _Falcon_ , Leia's a prisoner of the Empire and the droids… I don’t know what we’ll do with them." He looked over at Artoo and Threepio, feeling guilty for calling them 'the droids'. Too late now…

"What about Chewie and Wedge?" Han asked, but Luke didn't answer. He honestly had no idea, but he did have a hunch, which he chose not to voice. Han probably wouldn't like it.

"Stop it, Han." Leia suddenly said. "You're making things worse. Can't you see he's toying with us?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to figure things out okay? Better than just sitting quietly and waiting for your execution." Han retorted irritably and Leia looked away, obviously hurt. It was no wonder why: last time she'd been a prisoner of the Empire, she actually had been scheduled to be executed.

"Real smooth, Han." Wedge said quietly, in a voice that suggested it wouldn't take much for him to break down. Luke couldn't blame him; seeing Luke take down all those other pilots must have been a blow. Luke snorted at his own reflections. How could he be analysing all this so offhandedly? He just wished Vader would get here quickly so he wasn't stuck with them any longer. It was starting to get very awkward.

He wanted desperately to tell them he was sorry, and that if he could he would be helping them right now, but darkness choked the words in his throat and stung at his eyes. His father's words were still strong in his mind, _'I hope your feelings on this matter are clear, Luke.'_ They had been earlier, but now he wasn't so sure.

He closed his eyes and thought it over. There was one thing he _could_ do for them… As much as he had agreed to serve his father, he did not want his friends to die here. Vader would be back soon and by then it would be too late.

He asked himself ironically what Luke Skywalker would do in this situation. After taking a deep breath, he looked back at Han and ignited the lightsaber swiftly. The smuggler twitched and tried to shuffle away, but Luke's aim was sure.

The binders holding Han's wrists together melted easily under the blade. Han stared up at him, gaping. He was not alone; suddenly everyone in the cell now dared to look at him. Luke hurried, before either his father or his dark feelings returned, and took out the blaster that was also at his belt. He kicked it over at Han, who took it slowly. The smuggler started to stand and he shot a glance at Leia, who looked like she didn't know what to think now.

"This should be easier than on the Death Star. Take an Imperial shuttle in the hangar." Luke said quietly, avoiding looking at Han, who was grinning now. "Make it look like a struggle. Leave the droids here." He glanced at Artoo and Threepio, and Han nodded.

"Why…?" Leia asked slowly. Luke knew she wasn't asking why they should leave the droids; it was more a questioning of his sudden change of heart.

"I think you should leave before I ask myself that." Luke said meaningfully. They all got the hint and stood up. Luke walked swiftly around them and struck at the wall with the lightsaber in a few select places. Han smirked, clearly understanding the purpose of this, and aimed three blaster shots at the wall next to the door. Satisfied, Luke walked over to open it and once it was, he stepped aside and motioned for them to hurry.

He trusted in Han's blaster aim. Luke knew he was putting them all in even greater danger than they currently were, but there was also a chance they would make it. Giving them a slight head start, he then ran after them with the lightsaber in hand and hid away all his true intentions behind his mental shields. He could only hope his father had not felt any of it.

As he ran after his friends he made sure to avoid corridors filled with too many troops. Han's skills with a blaster may be legendary, but he still didn't want to take too many risks. When they were very near to the hangar, he finally did what he must so as to avoid suspicion. _Father!_ He called out into the Force. Seconds later the dark presence of Vader responded, so he added; _They're escaping._

He felt the anger spread out through the Force and winced. A moment later, an alarm sounded throughout the ship. The hangar came into view not a moment too soon and Luke saw his friends had nearly reached a shuttle. He made a show of swinging the red lightsaber at them, but only just missed. The boarding ramp closed itself after Han had fired a few last shots at some surrounding stormtroopers. Luke called the lightsaber back to his hand with the Force and stared with narrowed eyes as the ship commenced lift-off.

"Close the hangar door!" He barked at some officers, who were standing open-mouthed in the middle of the hangar. But it was too late, just as Luke had planned. The shuttle left the hangar and blasted away into hyperspace moments later.

He felt Vader arrive before he saw him, and there was no question whether the Sith had seen the shuttle blast off. The energy radiating from him was livid. Luke forced his face into an annoyed expression, but kept silent.

"This is unfortunate." Vader said in a carefully controlled tone of voice. "I have already paid Fett's bounty." That was when Luke realized Boba Fett was accompanying his father. He was probably displeased, but there was no way to tell for sure. The bounty hunter remained silent anyway, his head turned towards Vader. Everybody in the vicinity seemed on edge, waiting for the Sith's reaction. "What happened?" He growled at Luke.

"I… It was the wookiee. He overpowered me."

"He should have been no match for a lightsaber." Vader retorted.

"I didn't want to _kill_ him! I was just following your orders." There was a dangerous silence following this outburst, until Vader crossed his arms.

"This discussion is _not_ over." He said, before turning to an officer. "I want a damage report as soon as possible. And track that shuttle's directory." The officer nodded and left. Vader watched him and snapped at Luke without looking at him. "Come with me."

Luke was fuming, and anxious. If Vader suspected, he was surely going to get it now. And Vader was leading him to his private apartments in the upper levels of the ship. Only once they were there did he look at Luke. His tone of voice was still angry, but what he said was unexpected. "Are you injured?"

"What?" Luke asked, wondering if he hadn't heard correctly, or if there was some other meaning he was supposed to interpret.

"It's a simple question. Did they hurt you?" Vader repeated, growling. Luke was stunned; he'd been sure Vader was going to ask all about their escape, not act all concerned for his wellbeing.

"No, they didn't." Luke answered quietly. He kept his mental shields up, concentrating deeply. The next moment he felt Vader probe around his mind.

There was a long silence, and suddenly Vader spoke again. This time his voice was full of disappointment. "Did you let them go, Luke?"

He was taken-aback by the question, but tried hard not to show it. "What? No!" He truly hadn't expected Vader to be able to figure it out this easily. And what was more, his father didn't seem extremely angry. His anger had been much worse before this moment.

"Luke," Vader said loudly. "You cannot hide things from me, even with your mental shields. I need to know I can trust you. Earlier you told me you were entirely loyal to me."

"Well… _I_ need to know you won't ask me to do things I cannot do."

"I did not ask; those were orders and you failed me. This is not a game Luke. What you have done could jeopardize the whole –"

"I get it, I get it!" Luke interrupted. "But don't ever ask me to hurt my friends again. I can't."

Vader's silence was ominous. His breathing was slow and rugged as he regarded Luke for a long while. Luke was uncomfortable under the unblinking obsidian gaze, but remained still and determined. "You will." Vader finally said. "They are no longer your friends, especially after today. I saw the bodies on Sullust, Luke. News of this will reach the rebellion now and they will no longer consider you an ally. You should know this and be prepared for what is coming."

The dark side within Luke twitched angrily at the feelings he still felt for his friends. They were an unaffordable distraction from his true goal; saving his father. Darkness warned him not to disobey again. The further he walked down the dark path, the further light would seem unattainable. He knew this already, and had thought he could face it, but it was much harder than he'd anticipated. His actions back in the caves, murdering all those pilots, it already seemed detached from reality. Like a dream.

"I'm… sorry I disobeyed you, father." Luke said in a small voice.

"Do not disappoint me again." Vader rumbled, pointing at him. "I was going to allow you to keep this lightsaber on you from now on, but you have proven today that you are not ready." He held out a hand to take it back, and Luke handed it to him without hesitating.

"Take it back then. I don't want it, it's evil." Luke snapped, keeping his gaze fixed resolutely on the ground.

"Then you truly have much to learn." Vader observed.

Luke ignored the comment. "The droids are still on board." He said before looking up at Vader. "They might be useful."

Slowly, Vader nodded. "I shall look into it. Are they still in the detention block?" He waited for Luke to nod, then added; "You are dismissed. Go, and stay out of trouble."

Luke gave a short bow and rushed out of the room, both desperate for some time alone and marvelling at the fact that he had not been punished.

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	15. Chapter 15

The bluish wormhole of hyperspace rushed around them outside the shuttle and Leia stared at it rather than at Han, who was busy shouting. "I told you! I _told_ you he's still on our side!"

"The fact that he let us go doesn't change everything Han." Leia said stubbornly, although she actually didn't really know what to think anymore.

"Sure it does!" Han laughed. "If he was Vader's agent all along we'd all be bantha fodder right now and you know it."

Leia looked away now and saw from the corner of her eye that Wedge was shaking his head. "I want to believe you, Han," the pilot said. "I want to trust him… Luke was… I loved him like a brother, you know that. But think of it as a whole! He killed so many pilots! He brought us to Vader before deciding to let us escape. We have no way of knowing what goes on in his head anymore. He's dangerous." He looked very distressed, but it didn't seem to be working. The smuggler was still grinning as he fiddled with the damaged binders around his wrists.

"Then why did he even let us go at all? He cares. That's all I know." He looked thoughtfully at the binders, then threw them away into the pile with all the others. They had broken them all off once safely away from the _Executor._ "And what about when he stopped that trooper from hitting me?"

Sighing, Leia looked back outside at space. "I agree it's strange. But we saw him, Han. You must have seen it too – he had this look in his eye... he's not the same Luke we knew."

"Hey, the Kid always was a little eccentric. I'd like to see any of us trying to stand up to Vader like he does. Trust me; it's all an act." Han glanced at Chewie, as though seeking someone who would agree. The wookiee shrugged and growled something condescending. "Hey – take that back!" Han answered, suddenly annoyed.

Wedge shook his head again and spoke loudly for the first time since they'd escaped. "You didn't see him kill those pilots. Somebody who was still good could never do that, even if it was an act. Luke was friends with most of those pilots but he murdered them in an instant, didn’t even recognise them. I don't even think he recognised me until I said his name. He would have killed me too without a second thought."

"Wedge…" Leia said softly, and the pilot fell silent. "What're we going to do now? I can't believe Artoo and Threepio are still on the _Executor_ …"

"Forget that!" Han scoffed, "What about the _Falcon_? I'm… never gonna see her again, am I?"

Leia gave his arm a squeeze, but didn't know what to answer to that. She could not see how they would ever get the _Falcon_ back. Admittedly, no less than half an hour ago, she couldn't have seen any possibility of them escaping, and yet here they were. Every one of Luke's actions today had been contradictory to the next.

"How are we going to contact _Home One_?" Wedge asked, "We can't come out of hyperspace too close to them with this shuttle, they'll shoot us down before we can even get a transmission through!"

Leia bit her lip thoughtfully. "We'll have to come out a little ways away from Mon Calamari and contact them from there so they know what to expect." Wedge and Chewie both nodded and fell silent again, leaving only Han, who was still staring into space with wide eyes.

"I have to go back for the _Falcon_." He said decisively.

Leia shook her head at him. "What? Han, you know I love you, but you're insane!"

"I have to try. I'll bring some spare converters and fix her up in no time."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Leia asked, moving to sit in front of him. "We have to be the only prisoners ever to escape from the _Executor_ and that's only because Luke let us go. You think you can get out of there alive again? Besides, which ship would you take? I doubt Mon would let you."

"So what? She's not the boss of me." Han retorted crossly, looking over at Chewie. "I have half a mind to make a stop on Corellia and get my own ship there. You guys can go ahead to Mon Calamari if you want."

"Have you lost your mind? You can't land on Corellia with a stolen Imperial shuttle!" At last, Leia's words seemed to get through to Han and all the determination in his face disappeared. He looked down at his hands and clenched his jaw. "I know what the _Falcon_ means to you Han, but you can't risk everything for a ship."

Slowly, Han nodded and Leia took his hand. She saw the corner of his lips twitch in a smile. As she was leaning in towards him, Wedge spoke, effectively ruining the moment.

"We're coming up on a Mon Cal ship!"

Leia turned and looked at the scopes. They had caught up with _Home One_. "Oh no – get us out of hyperspace and send a transmission, quickly!"

Wedge hurried to do so and Leia turned back to look at Han. The Corellian still looked conflicted, but otherwise all right.

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In the darkest, most secluded part of the _Executor_ , Luke sat on a crate. His arms were wrapped around his legs, which were pulled close to his body, and he was staring into nothingness. Shadows and spots of light crept and danced about his face from above the room he was in. It was a tiny storage room with a grate for a ceiling, from which the hangar bay above could be seen. He'd been down here for hours, and had lost track of the time. He was hungry, but it didn't matter.

Anger remained from his previous confrontation with his father, but also a great deal of confusion regarding both his friends and the fact that Vader had not punished him. These feelings only served to feed the dark side, which consumed him in a vicious circle of aggression and a desire for destruction. Being around all these uptight Imperials was starting to drive him nuts.

Serving in the Alliance, he'd had to respect certain military protocol, but it all wasn't as uptight as it was here. And they'd been allowed to celebrate after battles. Luke missed the atmosphere of a bunker full of gleeful pilots where a drunk Han and Chewie sang along something ridiculous with Wedge, and over-excited new recruits kept refilling Luke's glass and asking to hear some Rogue Squadron stories.

It had all seemed so much friendlier. Somehow, Luke couldn't imagine any of the people on the _Executor_ getting drunk and celebrating together. What was there to celebrate really? Servitude to an evil Emperor with an iron grip on the galaxy? Service in the ranks of a military that used fear tactics and destruction in order to rule?

Luke grit his teeth. His hatred was so strong right now he felt sure he'd soon start strangling people on impulse like his father did. The dark side was rising inside him like rings of smoke, making his eyes water and constricting his throat until he had to bow his head in order to breathe, as though submitting to an invisible master.

His senses were heightened suddenly and he felt someone approaching. At the sound of footsteps he dropped from his crate and turned to face the intruder. Whoever they were, they had better not annoy him.

He heard them speak before he saw them. "You're a little jumpy, aren't you?" As it turned out, it was a man. The voice was somehow familiar to Luke, but he couldn't quite place it until the person stepped out into the small corridor of light leaking from above. It was a stormtrooper and Luke noticed he had a lot of rust on his helmet.

"Crank?" He shot out hesitantly, all his anger numbed down by the sheer incredulity of the moment.

"I did think that was a cool nickname Kid, but I'm actually ED-837. People call me Ed-eight." The stormtrooper replied, and this time Luke was sure it was him.

"I think I'll stick with Crank. There are probably loads of Eds."

"You got that right." Crank said, chuckling as he took a few steps closer.

Luke was suddenly a little nervous. "What are you doing here? Is Vader looking for me? Did he send you?"

Crank laughed heartily at that. "Stars, no! Actually, long story short, I heard some of the troops talking about you, about how you got all scary with those rebel prisoners and now there's a trooper in the emergency room 'cuz of you. So I turned to Ed-six – what was that you called 'im? Grouch? Well I turned to 'im and I said 'Luke? That kid from the cell block? No way!' And then I saw you down here… So I just wanted to see if you were alright I suppose."

"Oh…" Luke said quietly. "Well sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not an exhibit. You’d better leave me alone."

Crank held out his hands in front of him. "Whoa, Kid, that's not it at all! I guess I was embarrassed, I dunno, but you look kinda lonely so I actually wanted to know if you felt like hanging out with us troopers tonight? You look like you would use a breather."

Luke blinked a few times, at a loss for words. "Hang out?"

"Yeah!" Crank said with another laugh. "You Siths don’t do that? Just… hang out?"

Smirking, Luke shook his head; he tried to imagine Vader and the Emperor 'hanging out' but it was quite impossible. "I don't think they do," he told Crank as-a-matter-of-factly. "But I'm not a Sith so you've got a deal."

"Great! It's my night shift off tonight with some of the guys. You could tag along."

Tapping at his chin absent-mindedly, Luke asked; "So what do you bucket heads do for fun?"

"Bucket heads! I haven't heard that one in a while." Crank observed. "Well, we – hang on." He looked up and down at Luke slowly. "You're not gonna run off to Lord Vader and report us are you?"

"Of course not!" Luke said indignantly. "And if you're breaking rules I'm all the more for it." In fact, Luke was even smiling now. He still felt very angry deep down, so the prospect being away from his father for a while was too tempting to resist. He failed to see how he could possibly get into more trouble than he already was just for spending some time with the troops.

He could have bet Crank was grinning now. "Well okay! See, we have a stash of liquor and every week or so we get together and play a bit of sabbac. It's an old pilot's card game, I can teach you if you like. It's simple enough."

Luke let out a laugh. "Sabbac? Trooper, you're looking at a pro!"

"Is that so?" Crank asked slowly. "Well then, it'll be good to have some fresh blood. I get tired of ES-333 always winnin'. You'll like 'im though – he's a veteran from the Clone Wars, always full of stories."

"You mean he's a clone?" Luke asked, interested.

"Yeah. There aren't that many of them left, proportionally speaking." Crank said thoughtfully. "So, you up for it?"

"Am I? I haven't looked forward to anything this much since – since… a while…" He stopped himself, thinking about the last time he'd actually had any fun. It was hard to remember but it was probably before Hoth.

"Glad to hear it. Hey, so tell you what; instead of sitting here in the dark, would you like to accompany me in my duties this afternoon?"

"Sure, you could give me a tour of the ship." Luke suggested, already walking towards Crank.

"You haven't had one?" The trooper asked in a strange tone of voice.

"Not really, no. I spent one week on board this thing in a cell block, and the last few hours today in the hangar." Luke said carefully, aware that this particular conversation could get dangerous very quickly. Crank was leading him up into a lift now, but the trooper was looking in his direction, with what Luke could only suppose must be curiosity.

"What were you doing in that cell anyway? Lord Vader never explained. Not that he would, mind you, we’re just nameless soldiers."

Luke looked away. "It was punishment. I don't think you need me to tell you that getting on Vader's bad side isn't a good idea."

Crank made a strange choking sound. "No, I mean, that I know… But usually people who get on his bad side don't get the opportunity to go around telling people about it afterwards."

They exited the lift and started walking down a rather crowded corridor. People were all staring at Luke, but he ignored them. Crank's words reminded him of a conversation he'd had with Harv back on Coruscant, about people being scared of him because he'd survived Vader's punishments. Deciding to end this line of questioning here, he asked; "So, where are we going?"

Crank's voice was all cheerful again when he answered. "A control room near the bridge. It's a pretty boring job. Lots of time to chat."

Nodding, Luke continued following him. Crank was surprisingly easy to talk to, almost like Han or Wedge. He could already feel his dark mood dissipating. When they reached the control room, Luke saw the Admiral of the ship was there, busy speaking with another officer. Neither of them reacted when Crank entered the room, but when the admiral saw Luke, he stopped his conversation and came over at once.

"Sir! How may I be of service?"

"Just call me Luke." Luke answered irritably, still looking at the admiral and racking his brains to remember his name. "And no thank you, this stormtrooper is keeping me company."

The admiral glanced over at Crank with a mildly surprised look. "I see… Of course, Sir."

"Luke." He said, rather forcefully.

"Please excuse me, but I don't think Lord Vader would approve if I called you that."

"I'll be the judge of that." Luke said, looking around. "He's not here right now, is he?"

"Indeed." The admiral agreed, looking slightly more relaxed at this.

"I'm really sorry, but I don't remember your name." Luke finally said abashedly. However, the admiral was unruffled as he straightened and cleared his throat.

"Admiral Firmus Piett." He answered easily and Luke nodded.

"Well, Admiral Piett, I just wanted to inform you that this trooper will be giving me a tour of the ship. So you might want to find someone to replace him for the duration of his shift." Luke said clearly, in that voice full of authority he had picked up on from his father. The admiral opened his mouth and closed it again.

"Very well." He finally said very reluctantly, glancing again at Crank. "Carry on."

Smiling, Luke led Crank out of the control room and they took a lift back to the lower levels. Crank was silent for a while, and then suddenly he laughed. "You're unbelievable you know that? You got me off work in a second! Piett was practically shaking!"

"Don't exaggerate." Luke said, waving his hand at him. "Hmm. I don't really get that guy. Tell me about him."

"Admiral Piett?" Crank asked. "Oh he's a real piece of work. Everyone's kinda scared of him because he should be dead. At least twice."

"What does that even mean?" Luke asked, frowning. For such a serious subject, he found Crank's tone of voice to be a little too casual.

"'Means he failed Lord Vader twice and wasn't punished. And he didn't just fail any orders, too – those were major mistakes. One time was on Hoth a while ago, and then on Bespin. You know that ship Lord Vader was after? The _Millennium Falcon_? Well, Piett failed to capture it twice. How's he still alive? Beats me."

Luke was silent. Unbeknownst to Crank, he had been present on both occasions, but he wasn't about to tell him that.

"So, Kid, what d'you wanna do?" Crank asked him then, once they stepped out into a relatively empty hallway.

"How about that tour of the ship?" Luke replied at once. "I'm just glad to have someone other than Vader to talk to."

**.**

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**.**

The tour was actually fun. Luke was a big fan of ships, and you could hardly get any more complex and interesting than Star Destroyers. They hadn’t even covered half of it before Crank suggested they call it a day. It was nearing suppertime now, and it suddenly dawned on Luke that he had never seen Crank without the helmet on.

"Hey, we've been talking all afternoon and I don't even know what your face looks like." He said slowly, looking up at the trooper.

Crank gave a short laugh. "True. I keep forgetting I have it on, to be honest. You get used to it." He then raised his hands and pulled on the bucket, swiftly removing it. He was quite young, as Luke had expected, with fair skin and very light blond hair. His eyes were a shade of green that reminded Luke of master Yoda.

"You… don't look anything like I imagined." Luke said awkwardly.

"You were expecting a Mandalorian, weren't you? That's because the original clone was Mandalorian, as were his well… clone offspring? Anyway, nowadays stormtroopers come from everywhere in the galaxy, but some of us still learn the language, or an at least understand it okay. The accent sticks with you after a while, but I can speak Basic with an acceptable Coruscanti accent if I need to."

"So you stormtroopers all speak Mando'a?"

"Yeah some of us do. I guess old habits die hard. Older troopers, the ones who are clones, never stopped using it so it sort of caught on."

"Ok, so then where are you from?" Luke asked as they began to walk down to the trooper accommodations level. Crank had yet to show him that area of the ship.

"Coruscant; born and raised. Pretty boring right?" Crank sighed, "I finally got off the planet when I joined the military. Wouldn't trade this freedom for the whole universe."

"Well, I know what that's like." Luke commented, thinking back to the first time he had gone into space. That feeling of elation was Luke's favourite thing in the galaxy, too.

"How 'bout you then? Or is that classified information or somethin'?" Crank sounded serious, but he was grinning. Luke was glad he finally had facial expressions to go with the trooper's statements; it made him much easier to read.

"No it's ok I guess. I'm from Tatooine."

Crank gave a low whistle. "Wow. How did you ever end up here?"

"Sometimes I wonder about that myself." Luke said dreamily. He then saw that Crank was still looking at him expectantly, so he added; "But that is classified. Sorry."

Crank shrugged and they walked in silence for a while. There were a lot more troopers down here, but most of them had removed their helmets. The stormtrooper accommodations consisted of bunk rooms and a cafeteria, which was where they were headed.

The cafeteria was very large, and the atmosphere was actually friendlier than anywhere else on the ship. Luke was surprised for a moment as he stared around. Except for the distinctive white armour, these men could have been rebel pilots, sharing stories, teasing each other and laughing together as they shared a meal. The mood in here was actually making him feel nearly… homesick. More than ever right now he missed his squadron and the Alliance, but as soon as these thoughts appeared, the dark side snapped at him, reminding him that he had killed many of his old pilot friends no more than a few hours ago. Suddenly Luke couldn't even remember what it was like to have friends. His eyes stung and he bowed his head, fighting down the beginnings of rage.

"Hey Kid, you alright?" Crank asked him warily.

Luke nodded and quickly wiped his eyes on his sleeve, trying to swallow down the darkness. "Something in my eye." He said hastily. It was a bad excuse, but Crank didn't say anything in response and instead changed the subject.

"Well it seems we've gotten here a little too late. Let's just grab something to eat and head on down to the bunks." Crank looked at him again for confirmation and Luke shrugged. The food today was some fish and canned vegetables, but Luke was so hungry that it looked like the best meal he'd ever seen, despite the fact that only yesterday he'd attended a feast at the Imperial Palace. He began to eat as they walked to the bunk rooms, and he was rather unprepared for the onslaught of troopers that greeted them when they got there.

This particular bunk room was devoid of actual beds. Instead, there were a few tables and a large refrigeration unit in the corner. As soon as they entered, they were pulled into the crowd and made to sit at a table. One of the troopers already seated then proceeded to assault Crank with a few friendly punches. Luke was stunned; if he hadn't known he was on the _Executor_ , he could have sworn he was in an Alliance hangar, watching Wedge and Wes play fighting. He nearly expected Chewie to suddenly emerge and pull them apart, something nobody else could ever pull off.

Then the riot calmed, and Luke was able to make out what people were saying. The jumpy, punching trooper was still looking at Crank. "Where have you been? You didn't finish your last shift?"

"Luke here got me out of work!" Crank said proudly, nudging Luke in the side. Everybody's eyes were on him now. There was a long stretch of silence, and then some people appeared to recognise him.

"ED… that's not…"

"Is it?"

Luke winced; he should have expected this kind of reaction. The only reason Crank wasn't afraid of him was because he'd seen him at his most vulnerable, when he'd only been Vader's prisoner, but other troopers merely knew him as the 'Shadow', an assassin of Vader's who'd killed an admiral and put a trooper in the medi-bay already. He wanted to say something to defend himself, but what could he say really?

Luckily, Crank spoke for him. "Yeah, he's Vader's Shadow. But he's all right, see?"

Luke smirked despite himself. Crank reminded him of Han so much it was almost scary, although he wasn’t _quite_ as brash. He looked around at all the troopers and guessed at their emotions. Through the Force he could feel that most of them were terrified, others simply curious, and some wished to tell him he had some nerve coming down here, but they didn't dare for fear of what he might do. Sighing, Luke straightened in his seat.

"So, I was told you guys know how to play sabbac." He said conversationally. This seemed to put some of the troopers at ease – they sat back down slowly.

One of them was a little more sceptical. "Did you know there's a trooper down in the medi-bay who's in a critical condition because of you?" He asked Luke angrily.

Before Luke could say anything in response, Crank interjected; "Leave 'im alone, Six. He's actually a fun guy. How would you react if Lord Vader suddenly came in here and wanted to play sabbac with us?"

"Are you kidding? I'd run like hell." The other trooper replied, gaining him laughs from some of the others around the table.

Crank shook his head. "That's a load of space junk and you know it. You'd sit down, say 'yes, sir' and let 'im win." Everybody was silent again, but Luke chuckled. "What's so funny?" Crank asked, shooting him a weird look.

"Just trying to imagine Vader playing sabbac against stormtroopers." Luke grinned and some of the others laughed too.

"Well, we'd better hope he doesn't find us tonight anyway." The trooper called Six said. "'Cuz look what I've got!" He had just reached onto a shelf and pulled down a large bottle of clear liquid. To general enthusiasm, he began to hand a small glass of it to everybody in the room. He was reluctant to let Luke have any at first, but Crank threatened him with something that had to do with cleaning some lavatory accommodations. It seemed Crank outranked the hot-tempered Six, and it played in Luke's favour.

"I don't want to cause any trouble, though." Luke said as he took the glass Crank gave him.

"It's no trouble," Crank assured him with a wink, "Six is just a witless sculag with anger issues."

Luke was about to say that he knew all about anger issues, but he'd just taken a sip of the clear, fruity liquid in his glass and it caused him to cough. His throat felt like it was being torn inside-out. "What is this stuff?" He asked, looking at Crank through watery eyes. He noticed some other troopers were looking at him with amused expressions. It seemed his reaction to the drink had been amateurish.

"It's Tihaar, a native Mandalorian drink. It is pretty strong, but smack your lips a little, the fruity taste'll make up for it." Crank told him, completely unsurprised by his reaction. Luke coughed again when he took another sip, but it was better than the last. It was actually worth it just for the taste. He wondered vaguely whether Han had ever had any of this – the smuggler was always going on about how Corellian alcohol was the best, but Luke was thinking he'd just found a strong contender.

"Well! Who's up for some sabbac?" Six asked the room at large, and many troopers cheered. The three tables in the room were quickly occupied, and Luke looked around his and Crank's. He noticed Six had walked across the room in order to sit as far away from him as possible.

"Well, Kid," Crank was telling him, so Luke tore his eyes away from Six, who was making a point of staring at him. "This is Ed-seven, Eds Sixteen A and Sixteen B, they're twins – just call em' A and B if you can remember which is which, and this here is Threes, that clone veteran I told you about. Everyone, well you know the Kid… This is Luke."

Luke smiled awkwardly at them all and returned Threes' handshake. Threes then began dealing the cards, and one of the Sixteen twins immediately asked; "So what's Lord Vader like?"

Before Luke could do more than splutter in his Tihaar, the other twin nudged his brother. "Idiot! He doesn't want to talk about that."

"Besides," Crank said smartly, "We all know what Lord Vader's like – tall, angry and spooky."

Luke couldn't help but laugh at this, and he certainly hoped nobody would ever be fool enough to tell that to the Sith Lord's face, even if it was an accurate description. Everybody's cards were now dealt, and silence fell over the table for a few moments. Sixteen A was busy trying to make sure his twin couldn't see his cards, and Threes looked very focused. Luke looked down at his hand and smiled. He always had good karma with sabbac. "So where did you all learn how to play?" Luke asked.

Crank had also finished examining and placing his hand in order, so he answered. "It's really popular with TIE pilots. I guess it caught on through all the troops."

"How about you?" The up to now very quiet Ed-seven asked.

"I bet you grew up playing sabbac on Tatooine, right?" Crank asked quickly. "That planet, I swear…"

Luke gave a short laugh. "I wish! On Tatooine, there were two things I wasn't allowed to do; fly my skyhopper in Beggar's Canyon, and play sabbac. Nah, a Corellian friend of mine taught me how to play a few years ago."

"Corellian Gambit huh? That means we'll have to be on the lookout for you cheatin', eh?" Threes remarked with a sly grin.

"Not at all." Luke replied casually, his sabbac-face already in place.

The game soon began, and Luke happily bet the credits he happened to have on him. It wasn't much of course, but still better than nothing. He would have looked foolish coming into a sabbac game without any money. Threes also bet a lot, as did Seven and Sixteen B, who seemed the most outspoken of the twins. At some point, Crank refilled Luke's glass with more Tihaar, and it was then that he realized how strong it actually was. Luckily, sabbac wasn't a game you had to be very lucid to play.

Or maybe he was mistaken. He'd been relatively certain he could win; the twins had both bombed out and Crank decided to fold just to be safe when he'd eyed the amounts Threes was betting, so Luke was left against Threes and Ed-seven. Luke proudly laid down his hand, a -22, and looked around. He'd beaten Seven, but Threes' grin said it all; the old clone had a pure sabbac of +23.

"Blast, you _are_ good!" Luke said, returning the older man's grin. Threes collected his pot of winnings and the cards were dealt again.

The next game was longer, and halfway through Threes started telling a story about a battle on the planet of Geonosis a long time ago, and Luke listened attentively, genuinely interested. However, once the clone started talking about Jedi, Luke's morale fell. Threes was going on about some old Jedi generals, and Luke felt a jolt when Obi-Wan Kenobi's name was mentioned, along with his father's. Threes described Anakin Skywalker as a cunning and amazing warrior, then proceeded to ramble on about how he still couldn't believe the Jedi had betrayed the republic.

Crank looked deep in thought and suddenly said; "I've heard the name Skywalker before…" Luke turned to look at him and he was suddenly visited by a not-so-distant memory. He was sitting in the cell on board the _Executor_ , and he'd just met Harv. Luke had insisted that he tell him his full name, and when the medic had done so, Luke had replied; _'Luke. My name is Luke Skywalker.'_

To be fair, it had been before he'd accepted Vader's proposition and agreed not to divulge his name, but why hadn't he remembered that Harv and the three stormtroopers in the cell had heard it?

Threes tapped his chin slowly. "Well, Skywalker was a relatively well known Jedi. People used to call 'im the _Hero with No Fear_. You must've heard about 'im before."

To Luke's immense relief, Crank seemed to accept this idea and the subject was dropped. The sabbac game resumed, and Luke's glass of Tihaar was refilled again. Hopefully the alcohol would cause Crank to forget about the whole thing tomorrow.

Before long, Crank bombed out, and one of the twins decided to fold. The other twin, Sixteen B, looked pretty confident, which made Luke laugh silently. He'd had an Idiot card in his deck for a while now, and he hadn't traded it yet in hopes of… He drew a new card and finally he had what he wanted; an Array.

Threes laid down his hand, another pure sabbac, Ed-seven had a -21 and Sixteen B a -23, which tied with Threes' sabbac. Luke grinned. "Kiss my wookiee." He said simply as he laid down his Array. B and Seven both swore, but Threes shot him a smile.

"That was some fine card playin', Kid." He said, ignoring B, who was gritting his teeth so hard it could almost be heard above the noise in the bunk room.

"Son of a barve, Luke! That was cool." Crank told him as he refilled everyone's glasses again. Luke smiled groggily as he collected the winnings pot. He was still grinning when the cards were dealt again, and it took a few moments for him to notice that he felt cold suddenly and there was a worried feeling in the back of his mind. Lazily, he looked around, before realising it really was in his head. The merriment of the troopers soothed him, Luke soon forgot all about it.

Crank was asking Threes about a funny story involving battle droids from the republic days, but Luke had difficulty concentrating on what was being said. The Tihaar was starting to take its toll on him. But he hadn't had this much fun in a long time.

He lost the next hand to Ed-seven, who kissed his hand of cards in celebration. Laughing along with everyone else, Luke didn't immediately notice the dark, cold sensation that had suddenly spread in the room. He looked around again, vaguely aware that he should be worried, although he was at a loss to why, but nobody else seemed affected. He was about to say something to Crank, when silence fell on the whole room, broken only by the sound of a glass shattering as someone dropped it.

Luke frowned and turned to face the door, which was now open. The one person nobody in this room wanted to see was currently occupying the threshold: Darth Vader. It was quite impossible for anyone else to tell just by looking at him, but Luke knew the Sith's gaze was fixed on him and he felt his anger quite clearly. Suddenly, he didn't feel so drunk anymore. The sudden appearance of his intimidating father was enough to sober him up at least halfway.

The silence drew on for a long time; none of the troopers dared to speak and risk drawing any attention to themselves personally, and Luke waited to see what his father would do. Very slowly, Vader took a few steps into the room and came to a halt a pace behind Luke's chair. Luke got the hint and stood up. He may be drunk, but he sure wasn't stupid, although he did dare to hope Vader wasn't about to scold him in front of these twenty or so stormtroopers.

No such luck; Vader straightened to full height and looked down at Luke. "What are you doing here?" He demanded in a quiet, dangerous voice that would surely have made any admiral fall to their knees at once.

Luke met his gaze and stared deep into the black sockets of the mask. "Playing sabbac." He replied easily, trying not to smirk.

"I am aware of what sabbac is, young one. Now, you will answer adequately, or I shall be forced to have you punish these troopers yourself." Vader replied, his voice raising quite a few notches. Luke winced and stared down around the table at his sabbac companions.

"What more do you want me to say? They're just having a good time, you can't punish them for it! Come on…" He paused, wondering whether to risk saying what he was about to say, but finally decided it was worth it; "You do know what having fun is, right?"

Vader's silence at this might have been unnerving to the others, but Luke felt the Sith's raucously pulsating rage through the Force. When he finally did reply, it was with obviously very controlled anger. "We're at war, there is no time for such things. Furthermore, if I am not mistaken, I recognize the scent in here as Tihaar. I was not aware that this substance was present on ship. These stormtroopers have violated several directions by bringing it on board like low-life smugglers."

Nobody dared to ask how Vader knew what Tihaar smelled like, but it said a great deal about whether or not the Sith knew what having fun was in Luke's opinion. Luke bowed his head and fell silent, vaguely aware that a headache had started to pound at the back of his head.

"Who is the highest ranked trooper here?" Vader demanded suddenly, to everyone present. At once, Threes stood and saluted bravely.

"ES-333 at your service, My Lord." He answered dutifully, his gaze fixed on Vader. Luke looked down at Crank, and saw that he had gone very pale, even paler than his natural skin colour.

"Very well, you will personally take the blame for your fellow troopers." Vader intoned, turning his head to look at Threes.

Threes gave a short bow. "As you wish Lord Vader." His voice was calm, and Luke was nothing short of amazed.

Vader looked back at Luke and even before he spoke, Luke knew what was going on in the Sith's mind. "Luke, you will punish him."

Stunned, Luke simply stared between his father and Threes for a moment. He recalled the look on Admiral Wermis' face and tried to imagine what everyone would do if he killed Threes, too. He couldn't. The man had done nothing wrong, and Luke had just been playing a good game of sabbac with him a while ago… he couldn't just simply _have_ to kill him. It wasn't fair, and it didn't make any sense.

"No." He answered firmly, gaining a shocked look from all the troopers in the room.

"Luke." Vader said, in warning. Luke remembered one of their previous conversations, about showing respect to Vader when in public. This was one of those situations he supposed. But he couldn't, he _wouldn't_ … His father spoke again; _'Luke!'_ But this time it was in his mind, through the Force. _'You will obey me, or the consequences will be severe. He is a mere stormtrooper, of no value to you. Do not try and lie to me; I know. This is a simple thing I ask. Here is your chance to prove that you are indeed, as you said, loyal to me.'_

Luke trembled under the weight of Vader's words. It was true; he hadn't known Threes for more than two hours, so why was it so hard? He wanted so badly to say no again, but he felt a twist of fear as he thought about what Vader's idea of severe consequences would be. He decided that he didn't even want to know.

Looking back at Threes, he saw that the clone's face was stoic, unlike the scared expression Wermis had worn. It occurred to Luke that with each new murder, he was forced to commit the act in front of a larger number of people. A wave of self-loathing washed over him as he finally lifted up his arm and ordered the Force to grip around the trooper's neck. It was a little harder to do while intoxicated he noticed, but he hoped it would work; he didn't want to cause Threes more suffering than was necessary. Quite against his will, he then felt a delighted thrill, the same he had felt when he'd murdered Wermis and the pilots on Sullust.

Threes' eyes betrayed him: he was scared. But he also took a deep breath, his last, and kept his gaze locked with Luke's. He was brave, and clearly more than ready to face death for his squad. Luke grit his teeth, closed his eyes and tightly curled his fingers around the invisible neck in front of him. When he heard the rasp of breath that meant his Force-choke was working, something forced his eyes open and he silently watched the life leave Threes, who fell to the ground in a remarkably dignified heap. Luke was still trembling but it was, he realized angrily, more from bloodlust than anything else.

The dark side stung his eyes and choked his breath as always, but it somehow wasn't as uncomfortable as it usually was. He felt powerful. Suddenly, he knew he wasn't drunk at all anymore; the Force had cleared it all out of his system.

He avoided everybody's gaze, instead looked back at his father, who was nodding. "Let this be a warning to all of you. There will be no further punishment tonight, for which you should count yourselves fortunate. But I shall be keeping a close watch on your squad from now on, make no mistake about that." Nobody moved or made a sound until Crank was brave enough to speak up for them all.

"Yes, My Lord." He stood up and gave a bow, and all the other troopers copied him.

The Sith Lord didn't acknowledge them further, but left the room in a swish of black cape, implying wordlessly that Luke was to follow. Awkwardly, Luke shot a hesitant glance at Crank, but the trooper's wide eyes were fixed upon the lifeless body of Threes. Feeling slightly sick, and his headache worsening at the sight, Luke turned around too and hurriedly left the room.

Once again, he'd just been a weapon at his father's disposal.

**.**

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	16. Chapter 16

Luke found himself, once again, being silently led back to a dark chamber by his livid father. He felt numb, and was unaware of his surroundings, concentrating merely on walking. His father's strides were quicker than he'd ever seen them, such that he practically had to jog along the corridors to follow him. Once they finally reached Vader's private quarters, Luke slowed and was hesitant to follow his father inside. Vader stopped at the door and waited for him. Resigned, Luke shuffled into the dark room and walked to the centre of it.

He heard Vader close the door again, but he didn't turn around to face him. It didn't seem to matter to Vader, because he immediately began to reprimand him. "Luke, I have never been more disappointed in you. And considering how long we have been reunited, I think that's saying something."

Luke remained in the same spot with his back to Vader, resolutely not speaking. But he had not counted on Vader walking around the room to face him. "Look at me Luke."

"You made me kill Threes!" Luke blurted out.

"Threes?" Vader asked, obviously annoyed.

"That stormtrooper. He didn't deserve to die!"

Vader looked at him in silence for a few moments, before saying. "He was at fault. He knew the consequences of his actions. They all did."

"He was still a human being!" Luke snapped, outraged. He turned his back on his father again, but as he did, he felt a hand grip his arm. Vader held him firmly in place and forced him back in front of him again. This only made Luke angrier; he tried to fight against his father's strong gip, but was unable to break away now that Vader was holding him by both his arms. "Let me go!" He shouted.

"No." Vader replied moodily. "Not until you are able to keep your anger under check."

"Oh, that's rich coming from you!" Luke retorted though he stopped struggling at once.

Vader was quick to reply. "Anger is essential to the dark side, but it is only a means to an end, as is hatred, envy and passion. You still have a sense of morality, and that is what you must strive to swallow down. Being a Sith means doing whatever is necessary to reach your goals. And you will reach them my son, I am certain of this. It is your destiny to accomplish great things."

Luke looked down and as he did, the hands restraining him by the upper arms fell back. This time he didn't move away, too deep in thought to do anything else. 'Whatever was necessary to reaching his goals' was a thought that made him uneasy. It meant, in the long haul, killing most of his friends and also giving himself completely, implicitly, to the dark side. He supposed he just wasn't ready to accept all that.

He looked back at his father. "How did you find me tonight anyway?"

"Son," Vader sounded exasperated, "how many times must I tell you that your presence in the Force is like a shining beacon to me? I was alerted to the fact that you were intoxicated almost immediately." Luke cringed at this; Vader may not be a conventional father, but no one wanted their parents to so blatantly discuss their being drunk.

"Incidentally," Vader was now saying, "It has come to my attention that you are not an adult yet and therefore it is illegal for you to drink alcohol."

"Oh come on," Luke rolled his eyes. "I'll be twenty-one next month. Besides, I'm of legal age on many planets, and we're in space right now aren't we?"

"That may be, but the Imperial Fleet operates under Coruscant law."

There was a silence that spoke at length of Vader's intentions. Luke sighed. "You're not going to _ground_ me are you? What, do you want me to start calling you dad, too?" He nearly laughed as he said it. Calling Vader 'dad' would never sound right. Apparently, Vader thought so too because he was silent for a long time before finally answering; "Never say that word again."

"Agreed."

Vader ignored him. "And I would not _ground_ you, I was thinking more along the lines of punishment."

"Yeah, grounding is too normal for us isn't it?"

Again, he was ignored. "I now realize my training has not been extensive enough. How do you ever expect to obey the Emperor's commands when the time comes if you are apparently unable to carry out the slightest execution I ask of you?"

"But I did it didn't I?" Luke shot back, "I said no at first, but then I gave into it! I just need more practice." The fact that he'd just referred to murdering people as 'practice' horrified some small part of him, but he tried not to think about it.

"Indeed." Vader growled, apparently unimpressed by his sudden show of compliance. "However the Emperor will not accept any defiance. If it is your wish to remain alive, you will heed my words, young one. Is that understood?"

"Yes." Luke said quietly, and bit back a yawn.

"Now, you undoubtedly want to go to bed, but I did come find you for another reason, not only to put an end to your little bout of fun." The Sith Lord paused to let the words sink in and Luke narrowed his eyes, not liking where this was going. "I was in the medi-bay retrieving some personal items when I came across the medic whom I'd personally relieved of duty days ago. He seemed to be under the impression that he had been given his job back, and referred me to you."

This news horrified Luke, as he wildly wondered what Vader could have done to Harv, but he also reflected that Vader seemed to have a sense of humour after all. "Oh, stars, what have you done to him?" He asked his father, although he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Nothing for the time being," Vader answered and Luke slackened, relieved. "He is currently the most qualified medic on board the ship. Killing him would not be practical. But I must say I was surprised by your sudden desire to be giving orders. You should know however that your rank doesn't grant you the power to make decisions regarding my employees."

"I don't… have a 'desire to give orders'! Harv didn't do anything wrong, so sacking him was really unfair."

"I should have thought it were a widely known fact by now that I am not fair." Vader responded casually, making Luke sigh again.

"You've got that right. I would like it if you were fair with me though. You're never honest about anything."

A silence fell upon the room, and Vader's breathing slowed, an indication of his suddenly cautious mood. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you always avoid my questions, or answer vaguely. It means what it means; you're not honest."

Vader took a slight step closer. "Luke, I have never once lied to you. While it may be true that I have avoided discussing certain subjects or refused to share certain information, I cannot, and would never, lie to you. Is that clear?"

Surprised, Luke nodded slowly. Thinking back, it was true. Vader had never blatantly told him lies, or misled him. He was always clear in his intentions, albeit vague in some of his answers. "I guess so. But then, would you mind if I asked a few questions?"

A hissing sigh escaped Vader's respirator; "Choose your words wisely, young one."

The nickname annoyed him, but he'd long given up trying to get Vader to call him anything else. He supposed 'son' would give them away, but just 'Luke' would be nice. "I want to know what your plans are. We seem to always talk only of the past. I mean, what does the future hold for me? When you talk of 'great things', I don't think I know what you mean."

His father looked away for a moment, then back at him as he took several steps back. Luke glanced around and located a chair upon which to sit. He'd long given up trying to get the Sith to sit with him while they had a discussion, too, but that was another matter. "Son, you are meant for great things because we will become more powerful together than Palpatine."

"So you intend to overthrow him?"

"This is a dangerous conversation to be having, but yes. I might have been powerful enough once to overthrow him myself, but I was young and foolish then and my current physical condition has stripped me of most of my body's strength. But you, my son, you are the embodiment of raw, unspoilt power. You will learn to master the dark side and together we will defeat the Emperor."

"And take his place?" Luke asked, warily ignoring all the comments about his supposed raw power; they made him uncomfortable.

"It is our destiny." Vader declared. It was such a bold, confident statement, and it caused the darkness inside Luke to yearn for it. The dark side wanted to take power, to control the galaxy. But Luke Skywalker didn't. He knew he wouldn't be a fit ruler; he was too hot headed and rash and just plain immature, if his father was to be believed. So then Vader…

"You would be Emperor?" He asked, his eyes wide.

"My rule – ours – would not be the same as Palpatine's. He is too tyrannical." Vader stated offhandedly, causing Luke to smirk. His father happened to be the most tyrannical person he knew, but he didn't say so.

"But if the Emperor knows this, as you said, why doesn't he disapprove of you teaching me? He knows what I could become, I mean… I know you said he's attracted to power and he thinks I'll betray you, but doesn't he even consider the possibility that we might try something against him?"

Vader laughed quietly. "I thought you had noticed that he does indeed disapprove of me teaching you. He was reluctant, although he did allow it so he could have a chance to analyse you further. But I think if he truly realized the extent of your potential, or the nature of our bond, he would not let me take you as my apprentice. So no, perhaps he does not consider you that much of a threat."

None of this made much sense to Luke, something Vader did not seem to realise. "I don't think I understand what you mean when you talk about our Force bond." Luke suddenly said. This had been itching at his thoughts for a long time, and he felt the time was right to ask for enlightenment.

"Our thoughts are transmitted through a special link between our minds. A Force bond is usually achieved through years of rigorous training with another individual, until it becomes possible to read and know the other person as well as oneself. Our shared thoughts and presences are visible only to us, because of the simple fact that we share both blood and a very similar Force signature." Vader explained this slowly, apparently unsure how to make it clear enough.

It was a lot easier to understand now however, and Luke nodded. "Have you ever had a bond with anybody else?"

Hesitantly, Vader nodded too. "My old master Obi-Wan. He trained me for over ten years; a suitable Force bond was essential. I have also developed a bond with Palpatine, although it is not as strong and mutual as with Obi-Wan, and definitely not as significant as the one I share with you." He paused, just long enough to let Luke feel his unease. "That is partly why I am so bound to the Emperor."

"Are you?"

"I cannot outwardly disobey my master," he clarified. "If he gives me a direct order, I must comply." Luke was eerily reminded of the way he himself felt compelled to obey Vader.

"The most I can do is hide things from him, such as your identity." Vader went on. "By taking you as an apprentice I would be breaking the Rule of Two, but Palpatine will not complain until we show signs of defying him, seeing as he has also broken it before."

"What's the Rule of Two?" Luke asked, even as he felt the chill of darkness deepen around him.

"It is an old Sith rule that dictates there must always be only two Sith lords, no more, no less: _a master to embody power and an apprentice to crave it._ It states that eventually, all Sith apprentices must kill their master to truly gain their power, and then take on a learner of their own." Vader recited.

"So then, Palpatine should be expecting you to someday take over?"

"Ideally, yes. But I'm afraid he is in no hurry to be giving up his place. Most Sith Lords are like that I would think – it is only natural. The only way for the Sith apprentice to truly take over would be to kill their master."

"But what if the master dies of old age, or somebody else killed him?"

"Unlikely. Sith are not easily killed and most do not live long enough to die of natural causes. At the very least, I have never heard of such instances. The history of the Sith Order is a trail of blood." There was a pause in which Luke could feel Vader reading into his thoughts. "Do I sense a fear to get your hands dirty, Luke?"

His father sounded amused, and Luke immediately shook his head. "Don't…" He said slowly, deciding to change the subject back to the original topic, "So then, Palpatine knows you're breaking the Rule of Two? He doesn’t care?"

Vader replied coolly. "Like I said before, he himself has broken it in the past. And for it to really matter to him, my apprentice would have to be a true Sith. Do you consider yourself to be a Sith?" The question was thrown out casually, but Luke knew Vader was very interested in the answer. They both knew what it was; but Luke merely shook his head and looked away. "Then no, son. Technically the Rule of Two still holds. You will be a Sith, and a powerful one, when you have constructed your own lightsaber and once your feelings regarding _certain affairs_ are clear."

"They _are_." Luke seethed, more to convince himself than for Vader's benefit.

"I do not share your optimism," Vader commented. "There is still much confusion in you, my son."

Some distant warm, happy feeling arose in Luke's chest as Vader spoke those two words again. _My son._ He'd spent his childhood dreaming about having a father, and he'd thought all hope of having one was lost when he'd realised Vader was the only thing he had, but just hearing the Sith speak those words was enough to give him new faith.

"That is exactly what I mean," Vader said suddenly. "What you are feeling right now is not a path to the dark side."

Knowing he had no way of winning this fight, Luke simply ignored him. "What did your real voice sound like?" He asked instead.

Vader’s stance went limp for a moment. "That is the strangest thing you have ever asked me."

"Just answer it."

"It… Nearly like yours, perhaps a little deeper. What does it matter?" Vader's answer was awkward, but somehow he sounded softer than usual. Luke smiled.

"No reason. I just used to wonder about these things, y'know, when I was a kid." Luke looked away and stared at a spot on the floor without really seeing it. He'd wondered so many things about his parents that his aunt and uncle had never wanted to answer. At least now he'd seen a hologram of Anakin Skywalker, but it still didn't seem like enough.

Vader made a sound that was nearly like the clearing of a throat. "What did you do when you were a child, on Tatooine?"

Surprised at Vader's sudden interest in talking about the past, but equally thrilled, Luke sat up a little. "I helped around the farm with chores and the harvest, but I was also really good at fixing things. Aunt Beru was always amazed when I could fix any of her appliances at the age of seven, when Owen had difficulty even understanding the circuit boards." Luke gave a small laugh. "But what I really loved was always flying. I had a skyhopper bike and I used to race it around Beggar's Canyon with my friend Biggs. Owen and Beru hated it, but I had too much fun to really listen to their concerns. People always said I should have died so many times in that Canyon, but I had better reflexes so I could make manoeuvres that would have turned anybody else into a splat on the wall. I had ambitions to join the Imperial Flight Academy actually, but Owen would never let me."

He looked up at his father, who was still and silent, and added; "I wonder how things might have turned out if I had joined the Academy… I guess we would have met a lot earlier."

"These speculations are of no importance, Luke." Vader said harshly. "Never regret the past."

Luke understood that Vader was trying to give him some advice here, so he nodded. But before he could say anything else, the Sith continued to speak. "I admit I am pleased to see you inherited my affinity for flying. Owen and Beru Lars were merely protective of you. I think they may not have been ready for life to impose upon them such a foolhardy child."

Grinning, Luke agreed; "That's one way of putting it at least. But they were great. They raised me like their own – we were quite poor, and I must have been a hassle." He was glad to finally have somebody to talk about this with.

"They knew what you were Luke. Knowing who your father is, they might not have wanted to do you any harm and take the risk of me finding out."

"Don't say that! They really did care for me." Luke shot back. He was touched by his father's apparent protectiveness, but his words were a little insensitive. "But yeah, I think they must have known. If anything Obi-Wan told me was actually true, he was the one who brought me to them."

"He was afraid I would kill you if I learned of your existence." Vader said slowly.

"Would you have?" Luke's voice came out small and choked, so he cleared his throat.

"I think I would have seen you as the only thing I had left of Padmé. No, Luke, I would have raised you from the start. Of that there is no doubt."

Luke was, but for a moment, actually truly happy he had found Vader, and accepted him for who he was. He tried to communicate as much of it through the Force as possible, and watched his father for a reaction. As usual, there was none. So Luke decided to ask another question. "What was your childhood on Tatooine like?"

"Quite unlike yours. It resembles the fake memories I transmitted to you, except that I had a mother with me. I also liked to fly, and also did it against my guardian's wishes."

"What did you fly?" Luke demanded enthusiastically.

Vader took a deep breath. "I was a podracer."

There was a long silence, then Luke realized his mouth was open. "No way!"

"Indeed. I believe I am still, to this day, the only human to have ever won a race, or even finished one."

Luke didn't care that his father appeared to be boasting; it was well deserved. "Podracers were the stuff of legends when I was growing up! The Empire made it illegal, but some races were still held by the Hutts on Tatooine. I was never allowed to go, but still… Podracing…" He was well aware that he was still gaping at his father, but it didn't matter. "So you actually won a race? A big race?"

"I participated in the Boonta Eve Classic, and won, yes." Vader replied calmly.

"Dyeesh! Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Do not swear, Luke. I think you are too old for me to have to tell you." Vader snapped, but then answered coolly; "It belongs to another life, one I do not like to dwell on."

"Are you kidding? If I won the Boonta Eve Classic, I'd probably never shut up about it!" Luke exclaimed, although it wasn't entirely true. Wedge had often accused him of being too modest.

"I would not expect you to understand, Luke." Vader replied, a hint of annoyance returning to his voice. "Now, if you are still sufficiently awake, I'd like to discuss one last thing with you."

"Sure thing." Luke replied, trying again not to yawn. Vader remained silent, watching him, so Luke sighed and corrected himself; "Yes, father."

"Follow me." The Sith stated, before walking to the door. There was something odd about what Luke felt through the Force, but he didn't linger on it, instead concentrating on keeping up with his father's quick strides. The trip was not long. They merely walked most of the length of the corridor until they reached Luke's room. Upon entering, Luke noticed only one thing; it was identical to the one he'd been occupying on Coruscant. The interior designers for the Empire had to be very boring people in Luke's opinion.

He then noticed the two droids standing at the side of the room. "Artoo? Threepio?" He gaped, walking quickly to them. Artoo squirmed away from him slowly, but Threepio greeted him as always.

"Master Luke, it's so good to see you in one piece!" The golden protocol droid walked up to him and Luke had to stop him with his hand. He then looked back at his father, who was still in the doorway. Suddenly Luke understood Artoo's attitude; he hadn't been backing away from Luke, he'd been intimidated by Vader.

"These droids are not carrying any information regarding the rebel alliance. You may keep them if you wish."

"Thanks!" Luke said quickly, astounded.

"Do not thank me too soon. Depending on what they may know about you, their memories may or may not have to be erased." Vader told him sombrely.

"Oh no." Threepio toned quietly, turning slightly to look down at his counterpart. "Artoo-Detoo, what are you doing? Come here and greet Master Luke at once!" The astromech replied something that didn't sound very nice, making Luke smirk.

"You can't erase their memories. They're like my friends. I know _you_ wouldn't understand…"

"I do." Vader said quickly and Luke stared, but the Sith quickly added; "– understand your desire to keep them intact." Luke still frowned, but he decided to let it go. "If you wish, we could erase what they know about your heritage and your name."

"They don't know," Luke said hastily. "I never told them. But they do know my full name."

"Then this information must be erased at once. I would trust you to do it yourself, but in light of your recent actions –"

"I'll do it." Luke interrupted hastily, taking a step in front of Artoo.

"No. Do not forget I am supposed to be punishing you, Luke." In all evidence, their conversation had not distracted Vader from the night’s events. Luke slumped against the wall and sighed.

"Fine… But be careful with them." He watched as Threepio walked over to Vader, uncharacteristically silent, but Artoo didn't budge. "Go with him, Artoo." Luke prompted, to which the astromech shook his dome wildly and let out a string of angry beeps. "He won't hurt you, I promise." At this the droid finally let down his hidden leg and glided away to follow Threepio, but he was still chirruping indignantly.

Vader waited until Artoo was at his side before speaking. "He says you also promised you would help your friends."

Luke shot a worried look at Artoo, but the droid wasn't looking at him. Even Artoo felt betrayed by him it seemed. After a few moments of silence, Vader walked out with the two droids in tow, leaving Luke to ponder all he had learned tonight.

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Vader stalked down the corridors of the _Executor_ , his tall dark form almost reaching the ceiling, his cape billowing around him and his respirator emitting that eerie sound everybody had learned to fear – but the effect was ruined by the two droids following him. Artoo was making a point of remaining silent, and Threepio was probably too scared to speak. For the time being, Vader liked it that way. He did not enjoy pointless conversation, which the protocol droid in particular excelled at. Thankfully there were not that many people roaming the halls at this hour.

They finally reached their destination; droid maintenance. Vader whisked away the personnel and, once he was alone, plugged Artoo into a computer so that their conversation would be incomprehensible to Threepio. Artoo's responses would be silent, only appearing on screen for Vader to read. The astromech was reluctant, but he seemed to realize there was not much he could do against a Sith.

Standing up, Vader ignored Threepio, who was observing some spare parts. He instead addressed Artoo. "Do you know who I am?"

Artoo's binary response showed up clearly upon the screen, translated into basic. _'I know who you were.'_

Vader felt a stab of annoyance. "How can I be sure you have not told anyone?"

' _You can't. But they obviously trusted me not to. And why would I tell anybody?'_

Vader could find no suitable answer to this, so he changed the subject. "When was your memory last erased?"

' _Never. I seem to remember you yourself were adamant upon this fact.'_ The droid's response was cheeky, meant to hit a nerve, but Vader would never admit that it did.

"I am no longer that man, never mind what Luke may have told you."

' _I know. I was there.'_ Artoo told him mildly. It took a tremendous amount of self-restraint for Vader not to kick the droid.

"So you have never once told anyone about that day?" Vader asked suspiciously.

' _Never,'_ Artoo repeated. _'I firmly believe it would be counter-productive to tell Luke.'_

"And you are quite right. I will let you keep your memories –"

' _For old time's sake?'_ The droid dared to interrupt, purposely using a human expression to get on Vader's nerves.

He continued as if Artoo had never interjected; "– only if you continue to believe that Luke is better off not knowing the details of what happened, but with a promise that if you tell him anything, I will do more than just erase your memory."

' _You would try.'_ Artoo said after a few moments, and due to the unemotional nature of the writing on the screen, Vader was not sure if that meant Artoo would not let him, or that Artoo did not believe him capable of doing so. It didn't matter. Vader would do what must be done, as always, no matter the price.

"I am taking an awful risk, droid. Do not test me." He snarled suddenly, and Artoo shuffled on his two little feet.

' _Since when do you call me 'droid'?'_

"Too much has changed between us, old friend." Vader said quietly.

' _True. For example, I never thought anything could ever make me hate you. But then again… you are no longer 'you', as you said…'_ Vader ignored this last comment, and bent to unplug the astromech. Artoo then immediately shuffled over to join Threepio.

"Pardon me, Sir –"

"Silence. Come here." Vader ordered, and Threepio's stance slacked before he walked over. He did not object to being plugged into the computer, and remained silent as Vader browsed his files. Vader quickly located what he was looking for; information about Luke's previous life. "I'm going to erase some of your memory data now." Vader said, so Threepio wouldn't be startled when it happened.

"Which files?" Threepio asked nervously. Behind them, Artoo snickered.

"What does it matter? You will no longer remember them." Vader said harshly, before proceeding. When that was done he browsed some more, trying to locate memories from before the Clone Wars ended, but there were none. "When was your memory last erased?"

"Almost twenty-one years ago. On Master Luke's birthday, as I recall it." Threepio replied easily, too chatty as always. But Vader was relieved. It meant Kenobi and Organa had had clairvoyance enough to know that the protocol droid could let something slip. Threepio must have had so many memories about Anakin Skywalker ages seven and up, and Vader did not want any of those being spread around.

"You two are more trouble than you are worth." Vader grumbled as he unplugged Threepio. From the corner Artoo chirped up something that sounded like 'We always have been', and Threepio sounded amused when he replied; "We excel at that, sir."

"Well, go back to Luke's quarters and stay there. Make sure he stays out of trouble too." Vader growled, remembering all too well the last time he'd asked Luke to go and stay out of trouble, that is, merely a few hours ago. How his son considered getting drunk and playing sabbac as respecting his father's wishes was quite beyond him.

The two droids left the room, Threepio bowing to him one last time. But Vader thought he heard the protocol droid say to his counterpart, as they walked out into the corridor, "I must say… that Darth Vader gives me the chills, Artoo."

To which Artoo snickered something at the Sith's expense.

Vader sighed and waited until they were gone before he left too, heading for his quarters and, more importantly, his meditation chamber. This reunion with his two oldest – dare he say ' _friends_ '? – had exhausted him to no end.

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The memory of Crank's face when he'd murdered Threes kept swimming to the front of his mind, so Luke was happy for a distraction when there was a knock at his door. He was reasonably sure it wasn't his father again, for the man never knocked, and it couldn't be a stormtrooper seeing as none of them would ever want to talk to him again. Vader had made sure of that.

With a sigh, along with a huge effort to banish all the dark feelings still tearing away at his insides, Luke got up from the bed and went to open the door. At once he found two droids crowding his doorway.

"Master Luke, may we come in?" Threepio asked, polite as usual but sounding strangely on edge. Beside him Artoo kept hitting him in the heels in his attempts at entering the room. Luke stepped aside silently, and Threepio resumed his habitual rambling. "We were sent by Lord Vader. It appears he wants us to look after you for the time being."

"Oh good; he grounds me, and then he sets me a pair of babysitters…" Luke groaned. "No offense," he added when Artoo tooted something indignant-sounding.

"Master Luke, we only wish to help you." Threepio said calmly.

"I know, it's ok… I just…" Luke gave another great sigh as he sat back down on the bed, still watching the two droids. They were truly like family to him, and it troubled him how often he seemed to take that for granted. They may not understand him like Han, or comfort him like Leia, but they were still… important. His heart throbbed at this thought, but then the now familiar lurch of darkness pulled at it, leaving him feeling cold and bare. He barely registered Artoo beeping away at him.

"Artoo says he wishes he could make you feel better." Threepio proposed and Luke looked up at the astromech, who was excitedly shuffling from side to side.

"Thanks Artoo, but I don't think there's much you guys can do for me right now. Your presence is enough." A tiny smile was pulling at his lips, which was actually saying something considering all that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.

Artoo was still chattering something indistinct to Luke, which Threepio hastily interpreted. "He says he has some holovids stored in his memory that might interest you. I have no idea what he's talking about."

"Holovids?" Luke asked slowly, directly to Artoo. The astromech whirled his body around and made his way up to the bed.

One of his sensors flickered on and suddenly Artoo was projecting an image into the air, not unlike the one of Leia calling out to Obi-Wan for help, all those years ago, except there was a whole setting to this one. Luke sat closer to the edge of the bed to watch. A miniature living room set had appeared, lushly decorated, warm and inviting, and young woman was occupying it. Judging by the quality of the light pouring from the many balcony windows in the background and the clothes the woman was wearing, it was early morning. Luke felt a jolt as he recognized his mother.

"Ani, wait – I…" Padmé was saying softly.

A man appeared from the side of the room, dressed in Jedi robes. Anakin was obviously older than in the hologram Vader had shown him. His hair was much darker, and fell to his shoulders in unruly curls. His face was sharper and quite obviously war-worn; a long scar ran over his right brow. He looked very tired, but he was still the strong, confident looking man from the hologram. He practically radiated trust.

"I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to go." He said in an equally soft tone, and Luke was shocked at his voice. Vader had said it sounded like his own, but Luke doubted he could ever sound so mature and peaceful. "But I don't have a choice."

Padmé got up from the couch and crossed the room to him, and he caught her in his arms. They held each other for a long time, Anakin whispering something secret into Padmé's intricately curled hair. He then took a step back and held her at arm's length. "Two months… I'll miss you," Padmé sighed as her husband stroked her cheek.

"I'll try to comm you. Every week." Anakin offered her a grin and she laughed, but it sounded wet, like she was on the verge of crying. They kissed lengthily, and he finally tore himself away from her and left.

Now alone, Padmé stretched and looked around before silently walking out onto the balcony and out of sight. The holographic image faded out, but Luke continued to stare at the now empty spot for a long time afterwards. Artoo then beeped something interrogative, which snapped Luke out of his reverie.

He looked back at the astromech, not sure what he should say. What did this mean? Did Artoo know who Vader really was? And if he did, what was the point of showing him this? It was laughable to imagine that Vader had put the little droid up to it, but then, why had Artoo never thought to share this with him before? Luke had so many questions, and no real way of truly communicating them to the droid.

So he said the only thing he could think of; "Thank you Artoo. It's true… really. It means a lot."

The droid replied in a series of happy beeps. "Artoo is thrilled that you like his gift, Master Luke," Threepio stated unnecessarily. "I have to admit, I failed to understand it myself. Who were those people?"

"My parents." Luke replied quietly, unsure of how much was wise to tell the golden droid. "Thanks again, Artoo."

The astromech let out another happy tweet, and Threepio added; "He has more, if you want."

Luke hesitated for only a moment. "I'd really like that." He said, even as he yawned and lay down further on his bed. Artoo turned slightly and the holographic image flicked on again in the centre of the room.

This time it was a bedroom. Soft light shone through the thin white curtains at the window, and Padmé's face was very close to the viewpoint. "Alright steady Artoo, here he comes…" She whispered, then turned as Anakin entered the room. "Ani! Smile!"

Anakin looked confused, then looked over to what Luke guessed must be Artoo's point of view. "You're recording this, aren't you?"

"Yes!" Padmé gave a sweet grin, then turned back to Artoo, patting her stomach. "Look how big I'm getting." She sounded pleased at first, but then her face pouted a little, as if she was having doubts.

"Padmé, you're _beautiful_." Anakin said as he walked closer in order to place his own hand on her swollen abdomen, too. "But our son's going to have his father's good looks," he added with a sneaky smile. Padmé lightly pinched his arm.

"You don't know that yet," she teased. "What if we have a girl?"

"Then she'll be a beautiful queen, just like you." Anakin replied, suddenly serious again. "And I will never let anything happen to either of you." There was something tense in his face and he regarded Padmé with such a passionate gaze that Luke was a little astonished.

Padmé sighed sadly. "And I keep telling _you_ I'm going to be fine." Anakin didn't reply, but still held her close. She buried her face in his arms and after several long moments, he turned to the camera viewpoint and said softly; "That's enough Artoo."

The image went to static, then shut off.

**.**

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	17. Chapter 17

It was a moment of great confusion for Luke as he woke up, still in his uniform, all sweaty and his face stuck to his pillow. Squinting around in the darkness, he tried to remember how he had gotten there. He remembered watching the two holovids Artoo had wanted to share with him, and then lying silent on his bed for a long time. That must be when he'd fallen asleep. But right now he didn't feel at all calm and content like he'd been last night.

There was only one explanation; another nightmare. Luke dropped his head back down on the pillow and tried to recall what he'd been dreaming of. It came to him in short, hazy memories, but it was unmistakeable. However, the recurring memory of his childhood had changed. He'd used to dream of a large black shadow that came and dragged his father away, but now it was worse because he had a face and a voice for that until now blurry, indistinct form of Anakin Skywalker. And he, Luke, watched the man being taken away, powerless to help him. Then all of a sudden it changed – fire erupted all around them and devoured his body, scorching at his very soul, and he felt rage like he'd never felt it before.

A voice shouted _'I hate you! I hate you!'_ and Luke cringed, afraid. That voice was tortured and so passionate in its fury, that Luke couldn't help but feel its pain. The pain truly felt real, as flames once again engulfed him, and it was like his body was being ripped to pieces…

He sat up on his bed with a gasp, recognizing that voice, and that presence in his mind. Panicked, he hurried to stand and made it look like he was fixing something inside one of Artoo's many compartments.

Just as his father barged in, Luke was hoping his dishevelled appearance and still groggy expression would not give him away.

Vader stood in the doorway for a long while, apparently taking the time to cool down before speaking.

"Do you have any idea of the time?" He snarled. "What are you doing up?"

Luke realised he didn't actually know for how long he'd been sleeping. He'd supposed it was morning because he'd woken up, but it was hard to tell when you were in space. Even if this room had a viewport it wouldn't help. Finally, he settled on the truth, supposing that the impending conversation about the nightmare was inevitable. "Alright, I wasn't really up. But you startled me!"

"I can see that. And I can also see the fresh marks your pillow left on your face." Vader seemed to look him up and down for a moment. "Why were you sleeping in your clothes?"

"Does it matter? Besides, I hardly think you sleep in pyjamas." Luke scoffed, trying to lighten the mood. It turned out not to be a good idea, despite what his still sleepy mind had decided. Vader's annoyance was palpable. "Why are you here anyway?" Luke finally asked.

"It appears we were both asleep, and our thoughts impeded in upon each other through the bond."

"By these 'thoughts' you mean dreams right?" Luke asked, but Vader ignored him.

"They must have been very powerful thoughts, or memories, to do so."

"Mine wasn't a memory," Luke said. "It…" He hesitated, feeling slightly childish. "It was an old nightmare I used to always have as a kid."

"That's what I presumed." Vader commented, before falling silent again. Luke knew what the Sith was wondering now; whether or not Luke had seen his own dream. "Well then, go back to bed. There are still four hours before you have any reason to be up." Vader meant to leave, but Luke stood up.

"Wait! Please – what was your dream about?"

Silence stretched out between them, as awkward as ever, and then Vader gave a deep rumbling sigh that vibrated somewhere near Luke's ribcage in the small room. "It was of pain I never wish you to know. You would do well to forget it." The Sith Lord then promptly left, and Luke slumped back down onto his messy bed.

His father's vague answer had been less than satisfactory, serving more to fuel Luke's curiosity than anything else. Luke rolled over and squirmed out of the upper part of his robes. Four hours was not a long time left to sleep, and unluckily for him, sleep was no longer possible. His mind was racing, so he decided he had better get up and go do something before he gave himself a headache.

As he scratched his arm with his right hand he felt some strange ridges against his skin. Looking down, he saw the skin on his prosthetic hand had peeled off in places. He had forgotten about that… He supposed it was as good a reason as any to go down to the medi-bay. Harv might even be there, a thought that made Luke smile.

He got up and pulled his black robes back on. Artoo and Threepio were both powered down, and he made sure not wake them. Once he was in the corridor he set off at a leisurely pace, knowing he had all the time in the world.

To his satisfaction, when he entered the medical quarters Harv was seated at a desk, looking weary. The man looked up at him quickly, but his face fell when he recognized him. "You! You have some nerve, Luke." He said slowly.

Luke chuckled. "Hey, I still got you your job back and Vader agreed not to kill you. What's wrong?"

Harv shook his head like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're impossible, you know that? But this is the best job I'll ever have… I suppose I do owe you one."

"Careful – That's gonna stab you in the back one day." Luke said, grinning. He had a favour from Harv; this day was already on a good start.

Wisely choosing to ignore that last, Harv sighed. "Well, what brings you here then?"

"I need some retouches on my prosthetic." He said, letting his cybernetic hand fall onto the desk in front of the medic. Harv carefully examined it, then glanced back up at him.

"That's nothing serious. Come with me, we'll patch it up." Harv stood and walked around the desk. As he did so, a medical droid came up to take his place. Luke followed him into a long room lined with bunks, bacta tanks and all sorts of cabinets and cupboards. There weren't many people in the sickbay, and they quickly located a free bunk. Luke sat down and waited for Harv to fetch the supplies.

As he looked around, he saw everybody else in here seemed to be asleep. This was normal if it really was a little past oh-four-hundred, he supposed. A few people appeared to have broken limbs or minor burns, but suddenly he noticed one man at the far end who was sporting bandages all over his upper torso and arms. He looked very bent out of shape, to say the least; even in sleep his face was tense with pain.

Harv had returned now, and was setting up his equipment. Luke murmured his question as to not wake the people around them; "What happened to that guy over there?" He nudged his head in the man's direction, as his hand was currently being prodded by Harv. The medic hummed distractedly, then turned his head briefly to look.

Luke noticed how Harv's face took on a serious mask, but the unease was just visible underneath. "He's a stormtrooper. He suffered a cracked clavicle, shoulder blade and a few broken ribs, one of which pierced his lung."

By Harv's reluctant tone of voice, and a hunch of his own, Luke guessed who the stormtrooper was. But he had to ask; "How did it happen?"

"He, um, well… He was thrown against a wall."

"He – ouch!" Luke breathed.

"Indeed."

"No, I mean careful with that sharp tool…" Luke said, looking down. Harv's prodding instrument had now travelled far above the fake piece of his limb, into the sensitive skin of his real wrist.

"Oh… Sorry." Harv said, and resumed his treating of Luke's synthetic flesh. With a jolt, Luke realised the self-inflicted marks on his arm were visible. Harv gave him a look, but didn’t say a word about it, for which Luke was grateful. Both of them were silent until he was done, but Luke couldn’t stop looking over at the sleeping man at the far end of the ward. He had a strong build, visible in his hard jaw, and looked like just your average guy. He wouldn't have been out of place at the sabbac table last night.

Suddenly, Harv met his eye again and asked; "Why did you do it?"

"He disobeyed an order." Luke replied at once, surprising even himself with his harsh tone.

"I see."

"No you don't," was Luke's reply. "Vader would have done the same, I just…" He didn't even know what he was saying anymore, to be truthful. Perhaps lack of sleep and murder was starting to affect him more than he'd realized. And he was scaring Harv again; the medic's facial expression said it all. "I'm sorry, Harv." He said quietly.

"You're not," Harv answered. "But thanks." The medic gave a small smile and finished packing away the last of his instruments. When he was done he walked away without another word. Luke remained seated on the bunk, feeling cold suddenly.

Things didn't improve.

He saw movement in the periphery of his vision and glanced up. A stormtrooper in complete costume had just walked in, and paused under Luke's stare. He wondered what was wrong for a moment, and then he sensed the awkward tension through the Force. The stormtrooper was completely still, and Luke noticed the rust on his helmet.

Crank must have seen the recognition in Luke's eyes because now he hurried off down the room to the farthest bunk where the injured trooper lay. Luke hesitated for only a moment before following him.

"Crank! Crank, listen I'm –" He stopped himself there, knowing he couldn't apologize. The dark side would not let him.

"Don't say anything, Luke." Crank answered, and Luke noted the absence of the nickname 'Kid'. "You were just doin' your job. I should'a realized you were dangerous."

Luke was stunned. "Don't make it your fault! It's not. I should have known Vader wouldn't approve."

"Right." Crank said mildly, before removing his helmet and setting it on the sleeping stormtrooper's bedside table.

"Come on Crank, you knew what I was yesterday when you stood up for me. What changed?" It was stupid question, he realized. Murder was a hard thing to witness. But as a stormtrooper, Crank should be able to understand. He'd probably killed many people himself.

"Can you just… Apologise. Say you're sorry, right now. Just so I'll know you are." Crank's tone was slightly pleading and he was searching Luke's eyes.

Luke hastily looked away. Some part of him really wanted to, but the darkness was more powerful. Besides, his father would go berserk if he heard Luke had apologised for a murder Vader had ordered him to commit. "I can't. That's just one thing I can't do Crank." He paused, then used a phrase Vader had himself used on him; "I cannot disobey my master."

And there it was. Luke was devoted. The dark side felt triumphant inside him, quashing all the good feelings away.

"Please go away Luke." Crank said, though not unkindly. He sounded tired.

Something inside Luke wanted to stay, to cause even more pain and discomfort. Horrified at himself, Luke forced himself to nod and walked away. It took a great deal of effort, but he treaded softly down the room back into the reception area and left, without even saying goodbye to Harv. He didn't trust himself to speak to anybody right now.

**.**

**.**

His bad mood didn't improve even back in the empty corridors of the ship. The barely perceptible yet deep thrumming of the engines usually soothed him, but not right now. He was so angry, but he didn't know why. Darkness blazed like an open flame inside him, accompanied by the usual stinging of his eyes and burning of his throat. Luke had never been in such a merciless mood – it was genuine anger.

He turned a corner, which thankfully was also deserted. As he marched down the cold, dark hall he was painfully reminded of his father. The black cloth of his robes even billowed slightly around his ankles as he walked but, unlike his father, Luke doubted he looked as intimidating as he felt. Then again, Vader had said that people were going to be afraid of him.

Luke was interrupted in his musings by a voice that sounded like it was closing in on his end of the corridor; "No, you listen to me Artoo – we must find Master Luke otherwise Lord Vader will crush us into a scrap pile for sure!"

Artoo's hooted reply resonated through the cavernous corridor and Luke seethed, in no mood for the two droids right now. He looked around in vain for some corner or empty room to slip into, but there were none, and it was too late. Threepio and Artoo rounded the corner and immediately the protocol droid advanced on him. "Master Luke! We were very worried! Why have you been?"

"Vader told you to keep an eye on me last night. It's morning now." Luke answered moodily. "Go back to my room." He made to walk away then, but Threepio stepped around him to block his path hastily.

"But Sir!" He sounded panicky. "Where are _you_ going now?"

"To the bridge. You could come along, but only if you feel like explaining to the Admiral, and possibly Darth Vader himself, why you think you're important enough to be there." Luke raised a brow and looked at Threepio, whose arms dropped a few inches.

"That indeed does not sound like a good idea. Are you sure you will be under supervision?"

"Quite." Luke answered snappily, before turning away. He heard Artoo trying to follow him, but Threepio must have stopped him. Upon entering the bridge he was a little relieved his father was not there. If what he felt through the Force was right, Vader was still in his meditation chamber. Luke quickly retreated from his presence and concentrated on the present moment. He must be giving off some kind of menacing aura at least, because nobody was approaching him. Every eye in the room was on him, but nobody dared come close yet.

Luke paused for a second at the entrance, but finally stalked across the raised platform in the middle of the deck all the way to the viewport. They were in deep space apparently, far from any particular system. Distant stars blinked at him, striking against the inky black depths of space. He then glanced to the side, having sensed someone approaching. It was Admiral Piett and he came to attention smartly as always, however from up close Luke couldn't help but notice how weary he looked. His hair, barely visible beneath his military cap, clearly needed a good wash and greyish bags underlined his eyes.

"Admiral," Luke acknowledged. "You're up early. Or late, perhaps?"

The admiral gave him a haughty look. "The latter, Sir. Lord Vader asked for an update on our tracking of the shuttle stolen by the escaped rebels, and I intend to deliver."

"That's understandable. I've been told you know better than anyone what it feels like to disappoint him." Luke offered, with a slight smile. Piett was unflustered by the comment. If anything he straightened even more before he moved on to another topic.

"Is there anything I might do Sir? You are up early too, after all."

"Yes there is, in fact. You can call me Luke." He growled back, turning to face the admiral completely now. The man's careful, formal mask faltered; he was obviously unsettled. Luke took a step and invaded the man's personal space as he'd seen his father do many times before. "If Vader asked you to call him Darth, what would you do?"

Piett's eyes widened, but he also smirked. "That is highly unlikely –"

"I didn't ask how likely it was, although I do agree. But if he did ask you that he also wouldn't have to remind you every time he spoke to you because you'd sure as hell remember. I'm not Vader, but it is a simple thing to ask for. Maybe it isn’t clear, so let me clarify it for you all," he glanced around, unsurprised to find everybody on the bridge was still watching. "Anything I tell you to do, you will do. And I have the power to punish any one of you."

A ringing silence followed Luke's words, disturbed only by the small beeps of scanners and computers at each side of the bridge. After a moment, all the officers in the room turned and went back to their work. Piett was watching him curiously.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" The admiral asked, carefully avoiding using any moniker at all. Luke let it pass.

"Would it be too much to ask for some breakfast?" He asked, wearily. As long as he was here, he might as well take advantage.

Piett seemed surprised, as well as somewhat insulted. He passed the order onto a subordinate, apparently unable to face degrading himself to such a level as to bring food to a superior, whoever the latter may be. Luke wondered if Piett had even received an order of this kind before, seeing as how Vader didn't seem capable of consuming solid foods. He turned back to face the viewport, hoping it would be indication enough to Piett that he was dismissed.

But apparently the admiral was more comfortable in his presence than in Vader's, because he remained where he was and attempted casual conversation. Clearly this man was not easily intimidated. "So Luke, are you enjoying your stay on board the _Executor_ thus far?"

With a tiny smile, Luke nodded. "Yes. I spent some time with the troops, played some sabbac." He turned his head minutely towards the admiral. "Have you ever played sabbac?"

"I'm… I'm afraid not." Piett answered, at a loss for words. He was looking slightly offended again, which had been Luke's intention. Sabbac wasn't exactly a game most reputable people played.

"Best game in the world." Luke said with a sigh, looking back to the stars and vastness of empty space in front of him. Piett then seemed to decide it was in his best interests to remain quiet for the time being, which Luke appreciated. His thoughts strayed to all that had transpired in the last few weeks. The Luke from three weeks ago would have been horrified at the present day Luke, standing importantly at the viewport of Death Squadron's deadliest Star Destroyer, ordering people to bring him breakfast. The thought itself seemed silly, and would probably make Han laugh himself hoarse. Luke smiled sadly.

"Your food, Sir." A wary deck officer said as he approached the viewport with a plate of breakfast food. Luke's stomach practically roared at the sight. He took the platter and gave a curt nod to the man, who hurried away like he couldn't wait to get as far away as possible from him. Smirking, Luke looked away and to his plate of food, which he immediately began to devour.

"Wouldn't you like somewhere to sit?" Piett asked him curiously.

"It's fine like this." Luke answered thickly, between two mouthfuls. He noticed Piett was giving him what looked like a sympathetic look, but he was too hungry to bother trying to fathom what that could mean. Briefly he wondered why he was so hungry since he'd eaten quite a full meal last night in the trooper accommodations, but then he remembered the murder of Threes and the conversation with Vader that had followed. Those always seemed to wear him out.

Beside him Piett was fidgeting slightly, but before Luke could tell him to get on with whatever it was he wanted to say, the man turned his head to him and asked; "If I may, Luke, how old are you?"

"You may. And I'm twenty-one," Luke lied easily. He would be soon, and he was not planning on going around telling anyone on his birthday. "Why?"

"No reason." Piett answered, but Luke knew it was also a lie. He was perfectly aware of his slight frame, and would not have been surprised if Piett had been under the impression he was under the age of twenty. He probably looked it, hence his eternal nickname of 'Kid'.

He was silent a moment, taking the time to chew his eggs properly, before speaking. "I may look like an insignificant scrawny kid with a rim-world accent, but it’s experience that matters, and I have more of it than you think."

"I shall keep that in mind." Piett said slowly, observing him closely. Luke ignored him and returned to his breakfast, which was going cold but was still delicious. Breakfast food was the best kind of food in the universe, Luke decided as he chewed. And even better when he had the entire vastness of space to admire before him. A cluster of about ten planets was coming up on portside in which a big yellow sun was starting to make itself visible behind a large khaki green planet, creating a slight halo of intense light.

"Which system is that?" Luke asked, mesmerized by the view. Watching a system from afar in deep space never got old, no matter how many times you'd seen one.

"This is the Both system. That big green planet in the middle is Bothawui." Admiral Piett said, almost sounding bored.

"Both system…" Luke said quietly. "In the Mid Rim? What is our present course?"

"We are tracking the stolen shuttle and we think the rebels are amassing somewhere near Mon Calamari." Piett said proudly, making Luke grit his teeth slightly. He did it subtly at least.

How could the Alliance be so foolish? It was no secret how close they were to the Mon Cal; they were already suffering the consequences of their blatant support of the Alliance. Why would they risk angering the Imperial forces even more by harbouring known fugitives? But the fact that Han and Leia were returning there proved one thing. It was where _Home One_ was located, and that gave Luke an idea.

A terrible, but terrific idea that would most likely get him in a load of trouble… But he could not pass up the chance.

"Thank you for your company, Admiral." Luke stated as he finished off the last of his breakfast. The man bowed to him, but Luke held up a hand irately. "There's no need for that."

"Of course." Piett immediately agreed, still too submissive. Sighing, Luke turned away and left the bridge.

As he did, he could practically feel the many officers let out relieved breaths and sit more comfortably in their seats.

**.**

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**.**

The _Millennium Falcon_ had been brought up from Sullust and now sat comfortably in one of the smallest hangars of the _Executor_ , with just enough room on each side to manoeuvre around her. There was nobody else when Luke arrived, which was just as well; this little operation of his had to remain on the quiet side for as long as possible. Ideally forever, but at the very least for a few hours.

He greeted the ship with several taps on her large hull, smiling at the memories it brought to mind. They were good memories, and for once he allowed himself to enjoy them. Then after a few long moments of quiet reminiscing, he got to work. Inside a storage cabinet he found just the tools he was looking for, as well as some spare converters that would surely do the trick.

First he stepped onto the ship and made for the cockpit to be sure everything was shut off correctly. The last thing he wanted was for his father to find him unconscious next to the _Falcon_ because he'd been stupid enough to receive an electric jolt from the open circuits. But everything was indeed powered down. Luke stood in the middle of the cockpit for a long while, looking around; there was a half-empty cup of kaff in one of the holders, and the largest chair, Chewbacca's, looked distinctly hairy. It looked lived in, but cold, abandoned.

Shaking his head, Luke then left the ship and worked at getting the right compartment open. He was a good mechanic, but the _Falcon_ underwent so many modifications and upgrades constantly that he was never sure where everything was anymore. And it didn't help that Han never let anyone but he and Chewie touch anything, either. Finally he located it and examined the damage.

It was a simple affair, really. None of the important circuitry had been damaged, and both of the missing converters had been pulled clean out, leaving no debris behind. Boba Fett clearly knew his way around a ship's parts, too. Considering the hunk of a Firespray model he piloted, it wasn't entirely surprising. Fett had probably grown up learning how to do all this stuff in order to survive on his own.

After fishing out the right tools, Luke started on patching her up. His mind was blissfully clear of dark and perturbing thoughts as he fixed the _Falcon_ 's converters, simply concentrated on the work. It felt amazing to be able to disconnect from reality for a while, to not have to think about what he had to do later, or what he would tell his father… He'd face it when the time came.

For now all that mattered was that he was fixing the _Falcon_ and it felt right. He was doing something good. Things always felt better when he was fixing things. The converters were easy to install and they fit perfectly. Smiling as he admired his handiwork, Luke took a step back. If Han still resented him for crushing the old parts after this…

Still grinning, Luke jumped back up the ramp and into the ship. It felt strange for him to sit in the pilot's seat after all this time, and most of all after all that had happened since he was last here, but he did so and gripped the controls firmly. The _Falcon_ roared to life and he felt a great humming beneath his feet. He made sure everything was working, and that all the gauges were full before shutting it all off. He should put a little more fuel in it just to be safe, but it should be all right.

He sat back in the pilot's seat, but his hand never left the controls. His eyes drifted to the exit of the hangar bay. Right in front of him, behind the bluish tint of the airlock shield, sparkly black space stretched out infinitely. Freedom, at his fingertips. All he had to do was ignite the engine and fly out. The _Falcon_ was fast enough to blast off into hyperspace before the control tower of the _Executor_ attempted to contact him or even identify him. He could simply push a few buttons and be done with it.

He could fly the _Falcon_ back to Han and Leia and the Alliance. Maybe it wasn't too late for him.

But a thought struck him like lightning; would they take him back? The fact remained that he'd killed half a dozen pilots. He'd sold his friends to Vader without a second thought. Granted he'd let them escape in the end, but it had been close. Even now, the dark side was pointing a threatening finger at him for suggesting leaving his father. His place was here, the voice growled at him. He had to save his father; that was his goal, his reason for doing all this. If he left, everything he had done up to now would mean nothing. Everybody he had killed would have died in vain and Luke would forever live tormented by his actions.

Not to mention that if he left now, he'd once again become one of the most wanted men of the galaxy – not because he was the rebel who'd destroyed the Death Star, no, this time it would be because he was an ex-apprentice of Vader's who thought he could just quit. Luke didn't need his father to tell him it wouldn't sit well with the Emperor, at the very least.

So he couldn't. Luke let his hand slip from the controls and he ruffled his hair, closing his eyes. After a few moments, he opened them again and leaned over to fiddle with the Nav Computer. It was a simple matter to program an automatic course for Mon Calamari. He then looked around and located a spare datapad on which he wrote his message. When he was sure everything was in place he got back up and left the _Millennium Falcon_ , probably for the last time in his life, he realised.

In the hangar he found a suitable droid to turn on the ship and blast away to the coordinates. It obediently got on board and Luke closed the ramp after it.

He then stood in the hangar facing the _Falcon_ and watched as the mighty ship lifted from the ground, made a slightly wobbly turn and blasted out of the _Executor_. Outside in space she swerved around, locating the right direction, before vanishing in a flash of white light.

Luke felt suddenly lighter. He was right to have done this, despite whatever his father would tell him later.

**.**

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**.**

Leia gave a deep sigh as she walked out of the conference room after Han. She'd never been so happy to hear the words 'meeting adjourned'. Everyone was so exhausted from all the running away from the Empire, she now constantly found herself wondering how it was that nobody had cracked under the pressure yet.

Well… _somebody_ had cracked under the pressure it seemed. But Luke was gone.

It had been a particularly tense moment when they'd exited hyperspace just outside _Home One_ 's range in the stolen Imperial shuttle and tried to send a transmission. The people on the other end had been very suspicious at first, but had finally agreed to let them talk to Mon. She'd understood the situation at once and, obviously masking her thrill at seeing them escape once again from Vader's grip, had allowed them to come aboard. But the hug she'd given Leia a few minutes later had said it all.

Everybody had been very disturbed when they had told their story and all that Luke had done. Han and Leia had agreed together that telling anybody about Luke's relationship to Vader would be a very bad idea indeed, so any mention of that had been absent from their report.

However they'd had no choice but to tell her about Luke's strange decision to let them go.

"Do you think Vader will find out?" She'd asked with a frown.

Ackbar had given a grim smirk. "If he did, Luke's no longer of any concern to us. If there's one thing we know about Vader, it's that he doesn't take kindly to mistakes."

"Was it a mistake though?" Han had interjected, making Mon sigh.

"We know your relationship to Skywalker, Captain Solo, but he's clearly on the Empire's side. It is safe to assume he's been on their side all along. How in the world would Vader have converted him in so little time if he wasn't? Somebody like the Luke we thought we knew would never have gone over to the Empire; he would have died rather than betray us. What happened on the _Executor_ might have been a relapse. Even if he was undercover for the Empire, he might still have felt something for us personally and did not wish to kill you when the moment presented itself."

Mon's wise words seemed to have made sense to everybody, but there was something they didn't know: Vader could very well have turned Luke over. And Leia still wanted to know how. Han's crude way of putting it, that Luke had never 'shown any signs of wanting to run back to daddy' was still accurate. And if Luke had been his father's son all along, undercover for the Empire, he had been good – the best actor Leia had ever seen. Furthermore, why blow up the Death Star? Unless it was insignificant…

But they had proof, undisputable proof that the Death Star had been the Empire's best asset to date. The Emperor's fury towards the Rebel Alliance was obvious. If it was all an act it was carefully planned out and, more importantly, impossible to figure out. It seemed incredibly difficult to believe that this could all be just complex a scheme to bring down the Alliance.

Leia sighed again as she and Han reached her quarters. She lay down on her bed at once and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. On her left she heard the squeak of a chair that meant Han had taken a seat next to her.

"It's gonna be fine Leia." Han said softly.

"Yeah. I just need some rest I think." She replied sleepily. However she had strength enough to smile when Han took her hand in both of his. Han was being ridiculous; she felt like she was on her deathbed or something. Opening her eyes, she glanced upwards at him. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He sounded bitter.

"You already miss the _Falcon_ , don't you?"

"Well that, and the meeting was too darn long! I don't know why _we_ had to listen to all the reports on the Bothans, it don't really concern us." Han closed his eyes briefly, too. "This isn't good; we're all starting to lose our cool."

"I thought you said it would be fine a minute ago?" Leia teased.

Han gave a short laugh. "I was just tryin’ to cheer you up." He then yawned and his eyes watered visibly.

"Darn…" Leia said as she began to yawn too, "scoundrel…"

Han flashed her a grin, but it was somehow weaker than usual. Everything about the smuggler seemed toned down; his attitude, his voice… But not his eyes – Han was still determined. "You still think Luke's on our side, don't you?" Leia asked slowly.

"'Course I do! And so should you. Luke saved our lives when we thought we were done for, twice. First Bespin, now this… I know what Mon said, okay, it might make sense if, and I mean _if_ his father wasn't a murderous lunatic. I mean, Luke always said he was fine about it – what was it he said, he'd 'made peace with it' – but I think deep down, it must've meant something to him. He's still on our side, but he can't say he is. Get it?"

Leia blinked a few times. "No Han, I don't think I do. All I understand is that Luke killed people for no good reason and took orders from Vader without complaint." Han obviously wanted to interrupt her to start arguing again, so she spoke a little louder. "Look, I don't want to talk about it anymore right now…"

"Fair enough." Han said then, dejectedly. There was a silence, and Leia shifted more comfortably upon the bunk. Silences were never awkward between them, not anymore. Finally, after a while, Han stretched and looked down at her again. "Want to take a nap?"

"Sure," Leia answered, smiling and shifting over a little to leave him some room. After throwing off his black jacket and kicking off his boots, Han dropped down next to her and heaved a sigh. Leia closed her eyes contentedly, but opened them again after barely a minute, sensing Han's eyes on her.

As soon as her eyes were open the smuggler leant in for a kiss, which she easily melted into. He hummed and she shot him a smile before turning around to face the other way.

"Go to sleep, Han."

"'Night, Princess," was his quiet reply, making her smile again.

**.**

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It had been early morning when they'd fallen asleep, and based on her internal clock, Leia was pretty sure it was nearing midday when she woke up. She felt a lot more relaxed, even though she'd been sleeping in her clothes and not even under the covers. The warm mass of Han's body behind her was enough, and she smiled when she realised he had shifted a little closer in order to wrap an arm around her waist.

A few moments passed before she realized what had woken her. A steady beeping sound was coming from the table; her comlink. Han groaned behind her.

"Can you please get that?" Leia asked groggily.

"Mwhy? S'not mine." Han's voice was muffled, presumably from his face being squashed against her shoulder.

"You're closest. And it’s probably important." Leia shot back, a little more lucid now.

She heard Han groan again, but the bed shifted a little under his weight as he sat up. The beeping cut off and there was a stop before Han spoke. "Yeah?"

"Solo?" Came a surprised voice on the other end. "Where's Leia?" It was Mon.

"Asleep." Han said with a hint of amusement. "What's goin' on?"

"A ship just entered the system and we, well… Maybe you'd better get down here. Both of you."

"We'll be there." Han said slowly before turning the comlink off. Leia turned around on the bed and looked up at Han's face.

"You think it's Boba Fett again?"

Han frowned. "Can't be. He's not fool enough to take us on in front of the whole Alliance armada." He rubbed his face in his hands, mussing up his hair, not that it needed it since it was already messy from sleeping. "Well, we'd better go."

Leia smiled as she sat up, too. "Since when did you get so responsible?"

Han might have laughed along with her but instead he chewed at his lip. "I dunno. I mean, I'm not, just… I have a weird feeling."

"And you said _I_ was starting to sound like Luke…" Leia said half reproachfully, half jokingly. Han made a 'pfft' sound and quickly grazed her lips in a kiss.

The journey to the control room was quick, and Mon beckoned them over to the viewport as they entered.

"We have just scanned it for life forms," she said quickly, "and it's empty. It looks safe, so we're pulling it in with the tractor beam."

Han reached the viewport first and froze. Leia hurried to him and looked out into the distance of space. Right there, floating above Mon Calamari, was the _Millennium Falcon_. It looked undamaged, but it was eerie seeing it just suspended there, knowing there was nobody on board. "How did it get here?" Leia breathed.

"I don't believe it." Han said, starting to laugh. "I have a hunch, but boy, I tell ya, if I'm right…"

"You don't think… _Luke?_ " Leia asked, laughing now too. "Han that's ridiculous!"

"Is it?" He shot back, wearing his real trademark Han Solo grin now. "We'll see."

It wasn't long until the _Falcon_ was landed squarely in one of the many hangars and Han was fast to get to her and let the boarding ramp descend. Mon was watching from a ways away distastefully. "You know if that thing blows up because you refused to let us examine it first, I won't be held responsible." She cried out to Han, who was already halfway up the ramp, visibly too excited to pay attention.

Deciding to trust Han, Leia boarded the ship after him. They both hurried to the cockpit, where they found only a droid, which was simply sitting there powered down, unaware that it had reached its destination.

"Not much of a pilot." Han commented, kicking it out of his usual seat to take its place. He then patted the dashboard fondly. "How in the nine hells did you find your way back?" He asked absurdly to his ship, as though it were a pet.

"What's this?" Leia asked, noticing a datapad somewhere near the Nav screen. The rest of the dashboard had been cleared of objects, so the datapad stood out.

Han frowned. "Dunno…" He said as he reached for it. The screen flickered on and he immediately began to read. _'A captain belongs with his ship, so I'm sending yours back to you. Just to make sure you can’t be tracked, destroy the pilot droid as soon as possible. I now believe the fact that I don’t 'owe you two' anymore, but you owe me one now Solo, and I won't forget it.'_ Han was silent for half a second after finishing reading the short message, before bursting into laughter. "That crazy son of a nek!"

Leia shook her head in disbelief. "It has to be a trap, somehow…"

"I can't believe you'd even say that!" Han said, exasperated. "This is huge! It… It's a sign. We have to go save him."

"Han!" Leia said softly, still shaking her head. "Listen, if he was able to send us the _Falcon_ , why didn't he simply pilot it back here himself? He doesn't want us to _rescue him_ , for star's sake! We have to stay away from him." Han was still grinning, so she decided to add something more serious; "Remember what he said to us, just before Vader arrived on Sullust? _Don't make me angry_. That was a warning, and so is this."

Han's excited expression quickly disappeared. "I guess so. I got a little carried away…" He admitted, and Leia scoffed.

"A little?" She smirked at him and took the datapad in order to read the message for herself. It was strange; it didn't sound like Luke. The real Luke would have said sorry, and given more explanations… A thought dawned in her mind slowly, and she gasped. "Hang on… How did Luke even know where we are? He had to have programmed the coordinates into the ship."

"Do you think he heard we were here somehow?"

"How could he have, when we destroyed the Imperial shuttle…" Leia said slowly. They had indeed gotten rid of it, for fear it might have been traceable. But what if it had been too late, and the Empire had already managed to trace them back here? It was a well-known fact after all that the Mon Cal supported the Alliance. They had thought it would be good to take refuge here for a while and regroup with the entirety of Admiral Ackbar's fleet, but right now it was looking like an increasingly bad idea.

"We have to warn Mon, right now." Leia said, already getting up.

"And what do we tell her? That this was a parting gift from Luke? And that Papa Vader sends his regards?"

Leia shot Han a frustrated look which shut him up immediately. "Well we won't outright lie to her. We'll just say Luke did send it, but we have no idea what his motives are. It's as close as the truth we could ever tell them."

Han gave a weary groan. "Means we're evacuating again doesn't it?"

"I suppose so. But this time we have the _Falcon_ , don't we?" Leia said, and was pleased to see his grin return. Han gave his ship's dash another series of satisfied pats before following her outside back into the hangar.

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	18. Chapter 18

The bridge was eerily silent when Luke returned, and it was instantly obvious why; Vader's tall form occupied the centre space of the viewport and gave off a clear aura of _do-not-disturb_. Luke glanced around at all the wary, sweaty officers and shrugged as he himself strode down the walkway to join his father. Admiral Piett did not come greet him this time and remained dutifully at his post surveying some terminals.

Luke slowed just behind his father, stepping briefly into his shadow, before slipping to stand at his side.

There was a comfortable moment of silence between them and Luke looked out to observe the distant form of Kashyyyk, the wookiee planet. He could feel his father prodding at his mind, but he didn't let it affect him. At last, Vader rumbled; "Where have you been all morning?"

Luke smirked at his ever suspicious father. "Staying out of trouble." He quoted quietly.

"I highly doubt that. But since nothing catastrophic has happened in the past few hours, I shall humour you."

"Thanks." Luke replied with a small laugh, "Way to make me look good in front of everyone."

"I was informed of your supervision of the bridge in my absence early this morning. What a surprise to see you taking some initiative." Vader went on, ignoring Luke.

"That's an exaggeration," Luke said, frowning. "I came here to have breakfast and find out where we were, nothing more."

"I see." Vader said softly. He then barked at Admiral Piett, "I expect a full report when I return, Admiral." In response, Piett gave a hasty 'Of course, My Lord', but Vader was already addressing Luke again. "Come with me."

Wondering if his father was possibly suspicious already, Luke obeyed, keeping resolutely behind Vader as they left the bridge and the command tower altogether. It was a quick walk to Vader's personal quarters however, and Luke was stopped in front of a new door, one he hadn't yet been inside of. It turned out to be very boring indeed. A new low, this room was completely devoid of furniture. Luke glanced around, feeling awkward, and scarcely registered his father staring at him from two feet away.

"So you have eaten today then?" Vader demanded suddenly. It was strange question, but Luke tried not to show his confusion.

"Yes, I had breakfast on the bridge like I told you." He answered easily, hesitated, then added; "Why?"

"It appears people are under the impression that I am starving you. Not that I particularly care, but it did strike me as an odd rumour." Vader explained, and suddenly lots of things made sense to Luke. Like the way people had been looking at him, the most recent instant being of Piett on the bridge as Luke wolfed down his breakfast. Thinking back, Luke realized every time he had eaten in public, he'd been so hungry he'd shamelessly stuffed his face, except for at the banquet, when he'd been carefully trying to avoid drawing attention to himself. Perhaps he had seemed diminished and intimidating next to his father in that moment. His narrow shoulders probably didn't help either.

And it was already a rumour that Vader had tortured him during his first week-long stay on the _Executor_. If what Harv had told him was true, people were astonished that a young man, appearing suddenly out of nowhere, was somehow standing up to Vader's legendary cruelty.

Luke gave a small laugh. "I know what it's about. People think you're torturing me, and that's why they're all scared of me."

"How incredibly stupid of them." Vader remarked, making Luke chuckle.

"Well yeah, rumours are pretty dumb."

"What have you done with Threepio and Artoo?" Vader asked suddenly, and Luke was surprised by his use of the droids' nicknames.

"They let me go to the bridge. I told them it was fine." Luke said carefully, treading on the safe side. Vader seemed to accept it.

"Well then, let's begin. I have decided we should continue lightsaber training as frequently as possible." Vader started explaining and, as he did so, he drew the spare lightsaber from somewhere within his cloak. "Today you will practice your attack moves while I will block you. Your goal is to try and break my defence. I expect you will manage to do so at least once."

Luke took the lightsaber from his father and regarded the man slowly. "You want me to just… attack you, non-stop?"

"Indeed. Use every ounce of your anger. With all that has happened recently, that should not be too difficult to call upon."

As he ignited the lightsaber and tried not to think of everyone he had killed last time he'd used it, Luke looked up at the Sith's sharp angular mask apprehensively. He wanted to do well, but he still felt uncomfortable facing his father. All the rage he'd used to feel when he thought of Vader was gone, leaving a gaping hole he had yet to fill with new feelings.

But then, wasn't it because of Vader that Luke had chosen to leave everything behind? His friends and the Alliance's cause would never again be his due to the grip the dark side of the Force now had upon him. Everybody had warned him; Obi-Wan, Yoda, even Han and Leia had tried reasoning with him, but for his own foolish reasons, Luke did not want to leave. He was being made to murder and sell his soul to darkness, but he still remained with his father. Most of all he should be angry with himself, but he couldn't even manage that apparently.

Vader was still standing in the same spot, and had not even draw his own lightsaber. Luke had a clear shot right now, and Vader's unarmed state might not last for long. His face tensed slightly as he called upon his anger – it really was easier to do so these days – and he immediately felt a heated feeling spread through his limbs. The next moment he had swung the red blade quickly at his father, only to realize even that had been too late.

A twin strobe of light clashed with his almost instantly and held him there. Vader hadn't even lowered into a stance, and he was holding his saber with one hand. After struggling a moment, Luke quickly jumped back and attempted another strike. Vader's blade came to meet his again and pushed him off.

"You have natural skill, but you will need more than that to compete against me." His father growled. Luke lowered his lightsaber for a moment, frowning, but had to lift it above his head when Vader took a swing at him.

"I thought you said you were only going to block me!" Luke gasped at the strain of resisting his father's blade.

A deep chuckle rumbled from deep within Vader as he once again dismissed Luke's attack with a countering flick of the wrist. "Never take for granted anything a Sith tells you."

With a growl, Luke sidestepped another one of Vader's swipes. His father was still in a calm upright position as if he were taunting him, and Luke rose to the occasion. He quickly jumped to the side and attempted another hit. Vader's blade met his once again but this time Luke was ready; he sprang into action, delivering blow after blow, his red lightsaber a blur in the dimly lit air. The hissing of the blades filled the air, nearly covering the sound of Vader's grating breath.

Vader was a tough adversary; every one of his blocks were perfectly timed and his defence was air tight.

The combat went on for several long minutes and Luke started to worry he was going to make a mistake. After one particularly close shave in which Luke virtually had to dive to the left, he realized something; Vader was not being soft on him. He poked at his father's mind briefly. It only lasted a split second but he felt that Vader was completely immersed in the moment, seemingly unaware that this training might be too hard for Luke.

He paused a moment to rub away the sweat that was getting into his eyes but it was long enough for Vader to take advantage of. The Sith advanced on him without hesitation and sliced at his arm. Luke hissed in pain and recoiled, falling to his knees, but he knew it wasn't a major injury. He took a second to glance at it and saw that it was only a cut. However, it awoke that dark slumbering beast inside that Luke always tried so hard to keep under lock. He glanced up at Vader, but the Sith was stone-cold and was raising his sword again.

His father was supposed to be on his side!

Emitting a cry of rage he hadn't realised he'd been holding back, Luke leapt forward from his crouched position and twisted around Vader nimbly. His ears were filled with a numb rumbling sound, and his body felt disconnected from his mind. He slipped into the Force and it guided his movements; he knew everything Vader was about to do and his lightsaber countered it all. It took several seconds before he realized Vader was speaking.

"– that the best you can do?" His tone was calm and his breathing regular. While Luke was perspiring heavily and heaving his chest from the effort of the training session, Vader hardly seemed to be working at all. Luke groaned against one of Vader's powerful blocks again, but this time he didn't step back.

He let himself slip to the floor as if the blade had hit him, but he caught himself with his left hand and pushed his body to the side. From there he had an advantage on Vader, whose height prevented him from analysing Luke's movements correctly. Luke slid around Vader's legs and caught the Sith's ankles between his own. In a quick move, he pulled himself to his feet just as Vader tripped. The Sith fell with a crash, his legs splayed out and one of his hands gripping at the floor in a blind attempt to steady himself. Luke took two steps forward and held the lightsaber at arm's length, the tip of the blade hanging an inch from Vader's mask.

Hesitating now, he took in a few deep breaths. His anger and violent urge faded out, replaced by a feeling of pride. He was ready to bet not many people had seen Vader like this, looking up from on the floor, lightsaber deactivated. There was no facial expression to go upon of course, but Luke felt like his father might have been smirking. Perhaps Vader was torn between his satisfaction at Luke's performance and his disquiet at having fallen down.

Nevertheless, Luke turned off the lightsaber and extended a hand to Vader. Unsurprisingly, the Sith did not take it, but he did get up.

"That was very good, Luke." Vader said slowly, still regaining his composure. "Notice how your anger permitted you to unleash some of your dormant power."

Luke was busy catching his breath, but he could still feel the powerful tingling of the dark side throughout his body. Even the pain from the slit on his arm seemed erased. "Yeah… I can feel it." He said softly, and noticed his voice sounded deeper. He coughed to clear his throat.

"Remember this feeling. Eventually, you will be able to call upon it whenever you need. We will be continuing these practice sessions until I am satisfied."

Luke bit his lip. "Didn't you say that was very good?"

"It was acceptable, but you still sustained an injury and failed to break my defence."

"I made you trip!" Luke said heatedly, brandishing his unlit lightsaber.

"Not with your blade. Your flexibility and speed is due to your smaller stature and is therefore a slight advantage against me, but not all adversaries you face will be the same. I am not trying to spite you, son, I simply think you need the practice." Vader paused, turning his head slightly and Luke knew he was looking at the cut on his arm. "If you disagree then perhaps we can resume this spar. But this time I will not hold back."

Luke fell silent, though he was still fuming. He wasn't sure if his father was lying or not – during the fight it had seemed like he was really doing his best to disarm and hurt him, but maybe he'd been good at hiding his intentions.

"Why can't I read you as easily as you read me?" He asked, still sounding annoyed.

"This sort of Force ability takes a long time to develop. I have spent my whole life living around other Force-sensitives, having to try and read them discreetly as well as protect my own thoughts. You have only recently begun to discover your powers." Vader drew a long, gritty breath and added; "Nonetheless, you are doing well."

"Thanks." Luke said hesitantly as he started to cool down. His face didn't feel so warm anymore and he was beginning to feel a dull throb in his arm close to his shoulder. In fact, his whole arm felt like it was burning. He rubbed at it absent-mindedly. "I think I may have strained something."

Vader took hold of his arm, surprising Luke. His father never touched him unnecessarily, even when asking if he was alright. Luke was visited then by memories of Aunt Beru mothering him, checking his forehead for a fever, rubbing his back and whispering to him whenever he was frustrated by Uncle Owen…

"It is nothing to worry about. You could try meditating. The Force can sometimes be used to repair mild physical damage." Vader said, snapping Luke out of his reverie. Whether or not Vader had caught flashes of his memories was unknown, but Luke was embarrassed at the idea.

"Err, right…" He said slowly as Vader let go of his arm. "Thank you, father." He then added as an afterthought.

Again, Vader did not reply, instead moving to the door.

"You meditate in your hyperbaric chamber don't you?" Luke asked as he followed his father into the hallway. Before he could answer however, Luke went on; "Could I try it?"

Vader slowed his pace. Although he didn't stop, Luke knew what he'd said must have upset him. "That is a most foolish idea. The chamber contains specially pressurized air that would cause you to faint in under a minute."

Luke slowed too. "So you really can't breathe normal air?"

"No," was Vader's harsh reply, signalling that Luke was toeing a line. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Suddenly, Vader came to a full stop and turned to face him. Luke was a little too close but he didn't take a step back. He didn't miss the fact that Vader pulled away slightly, however.

"You almost made me forget." Vader stated, holding out his hand. Luke smirked, already guessing the problem. He unhooked the practice lightsaber from his belt and handed it over. "Good. Now stop following me around. You are free to do as you wish until we reach Mon Calamari but I _suggest_ ," Vader was hissing now, "that you do not test my temper again for the rest of the journey. No more sabbac and no sneaking around. Is that clear?"

Luke gave his best grin and did a mock salute. "Yes Sir."

Vader growled at him.

"That reminds me," Luke said hastily, "I wanted to ask how you knew what Tihaar is!"

His grin faded when Vader turned to walk the other way, but a moment later the deep booming voice answered; "I am familiar with stormtroopers and their customs, as I am sure you have already guessed. How else would I know?"

Luke remained silent as he watched his father leave, but his grin had returned. That last sentence had sounded distinctly mischievous.

**.**

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The murmuring of the officers on the bridge faded almost instantly when Vader stepped on deck, his slow reverberating breath preceding him. He stalked along the thick lateral walkway, relishing in the apprehensiveness he could sense coming from the men in the deep alcoves on each side. He stopped in his usual spot at the centre of the viewport where the blur of lightspeed could be seen outside and nobody was foolish enough to approach him. No pleasantries were needed when it came to him; he liked his subordinates frightened and silent. It soothed him, and the feeling was welcome after his most recent conversation with his son.

He felt strange when he was around the boy. Memories he had worked so hard to destroy for over two decades now returned to scorch at his mind, far more often than was necessary, or even tolerable. He supposed it was only natural that this should happen since Luke was his son and, as much as he'd like to deny it, the boy reminded him so much of a younger Anakin and… of Padmé. It was painful sometimes; his son had mannerisms he would never know came from his mother and father.

He squared his jaw behind the mask. Luke was a lot more like Anakin Skywalker than he'd ever know, simply because Vader would never tell him – stars knew the last thing his wayward son needed was encouragement on this front. He was glad the boy had spirit, but all the same, he should know better than to get pulled into a game of sabbac and getting drunk. And with a crowd of stormtroopers, no less. Vader had a great deal of respect for his troops, but only when they acted as such, troops. He had no interest in any other aspect of his men’s lives.

He had hoped forcing Luke to kill the stormtrooper responsible would have served as a lesson but, thinking back, he was not sure using murder as a punishment was a suitable way of turning him. The boy needed to learn that it was a means to an end, a power he had above others that would cause him to be feared, not something to be afraid of. Vader was not blind; knew his son was still repulsed by it. But Vader was not worried either. The path to darkness would take some time for Luke to tread, and there was a long way to go yet. The Force boiled with Luke's muddle of confused feelings. He was scared of his power and disgusted by himself, but Vader could relate. However, he knew Palpatine would not.

He could teach Luke to hide his true identity as well as certain thoughts and memories, but he could hardly teach him to disguise treacherous feelings when they were lived in the present. If Palpatine decided to test the boy – and he would soon, Vader had no doubt – he would be most displeased and suspicious if Luke showed any sign of distaste towards the dark side.

Because Luke still hesitated when Vader gave him an order. He did not yet possess the unwavering and implicit loyalty a true Sith held for his master. Vader huffed at this thought. His own loyalty had waned in the past few years of course and, most recently, upon learning that he had a son. Once again, a burning fury rose within Vader's chest at the memories. _He had not killed Padmé!_

Since the beginning Vader had thought of Palpatine as an honest man. Perhaps he had been brutally honest with him, but even when he'd been Anakin, young and a little more naïve, he'd always preferred that to any lie. And Anakin had once been described by Obi-Wan as an extremely loyal person. It was still true; Vader was a loyal man. But loyalty was earned, and he expected nothing less than full loyalty in return.

Palpatine had violated every aspect of the relationship he had forged with Vader. Not only had he lied to him about something that had been a crucial aspect in his transformation into a Sith, but he had also used the knowledge against Vader and for his own gain. Vader could not tolerate lies. His treatment of his officers and crew was proof of that. It did not happen often that he was lied to, but some had been foolish enough to try it in the past and had been punished accordingly.

Just as he would be punished if the Emperor ever learned of his son's existence.

Vader was reasonably sure he was not aware that his child had survived. Even if Vader had not killed Padmé by his own hand, it was clear she had died not long after giving birth. Vader had seen the footage of her funeral held on Naboo of course; it had made the headlines. Vader fumed silently as he thought of his master, possibly seated in his throne room at this very moment, still congratulating himself on having kept his greatest lie intact for all these years, for succeeding in taming Anakin Skywalker and creating his own Sith apprentice.

Well, nobody would tame Darth Vader, the masked Sith thought bitterly. He would let Palpatine sit calmly for now but, when he least expected it, his beloved pet would bite back, and he would not be alone. Luke would stand at his side against Palpatine and then the Empire, the galaxy, would be theirs for the taking. And through his relationship with Luke, along with the nature of their bond, Vader would have all but ensured that his own apprentice would never turn against him.

His thoughts now turned to lightsaber practice. Luke had been surprisingly naïve to think Vader had truly been trying to hurt him. That was nothing compared to the practice sessions to come. But it had also worked surprisingly well. While Luke was rather skilled at resisting the temptations of the dark side, murder and destruction, he became very touchy when it came to certain subjects. Thankfully one of those was fighting Vader. It seemed to strike a nerve with the boy when he made himself to be an enemy, or suggested that they attempt to harm each other. Another testy subject was that of his friends and the Rebellion. Luke was still torn between feelings of love and the darkness. But the dark side would claim him eventually. Darkness always got what it desired.

Vader remembered how quickly the dark side had gripped him when, filled with the need to save his wife and unborn child, he'd committed hundreds of murders in a single night. He did not regret any of those deaths, as a true Sith shouldn't, but he still dwelled on them from time to time.

He had loved Padmé to the point of torment and now that she was gone, he chose to turn his consuming passion on other things, like the firm belief he could accomplish greatness and wield infinite power.

Except that he couldn't. Not with this body, anyway.

That was where Luke came in. Vader knew that Palpatine was jealous of the Skywalker power. Anakin had always been the most powerful, or at least he had held the most potential, but all that had been lost along with the ashes of his body, burnt to a crisp in the fires of Mustafar. He was reduced to a pale, weakened simulation of what he had once been, a shadow of his former self. How fitting that Luke had already received such a formidable nickname, one that held even more connotation than he perhaps realized; Vader's Shadow indeed. Luke would fulfil a destiny that had been snatched away from Vader, and for some reason he could not fathom, Vader was immensely proud of this fact.

Once again, he was filled with an emotion he couldn't, or did not want to, understand. He quelled it down, snuffing it into darkness until his soul felt empty again. It was cold, but it was a chill he had grown accustomed to and it felt much more comfortable than the disquieting warmth he felt whenever Luke was around. But the boy would never understand this, not until he embraced his destiny fully.

It was only a matter of time.

Vader realized he had been staring at a star system for a few seconds, his mind still turning from his deep thoughts. It was quite unnecessary when Admiral Piett stepped up to announce they had just come out of hyperspace near Mon Calamari, but Vader let it pass. He was too busy looking out to the Mon Cal cruisers in the distance right above the atmosphere of the swampy green and turquoise blue planet. What must be the entire rebel fleet was spread out before him, silently hanging and facing the imposing form of the _Executor_ , which was easily larger than five of their own cruisers.

"Have you identified their mother ship, Admiral?" Vader growled, annoyed at the sudden lack of updates.

"Yes, My Lord. We have sent a transmission to the vessel _Home One_ as previously ordered but have yet to receive any response." The admiral answered firmly, though he was observing the distant fleet with swollen eyes; he clearly needed to sleep.

"As usual the rebels cannot be reasoned with," Vader said dismissively. "Continue our present course. Prepare to take on the _Home One_ and have the troops and pilots on alert for any snub fighters. We do not want a reprisal of the Death Star incident." At this, Piett gave a salute and walked away looking thoroughly worn out, even though he was making an effort to appear alert. Vader turned and added; "For future reference, Admiral, I expect my officers to be in top shape while on the bridge. I suggest you work additionally hard today to convince me you are fit for duty."

Admiral Piett stumbled slightly, but his face did not lose any of its determination as he answered dutifully, "Understood My Lord."

He then turned on his heel and rushed away to the command room, while Vader turned back to face the great expanse of space. He often wondered why he had not yet disposed of Piett, but he supposed it had its advantages; he knew the admiral better than any of his other officers, allowing him to better control him. Furthermore, Piett was very aware he'd already been given chances and was eager not to disappoint the Sith any further.

Vader straightened with a sigh as he watched the distant form of the Mon Cal mother ship. No enemy fighters had been sent out yet, which was strange. The rebels were usually first to strike, always rushing into battle with their guns blazing, attacking first and thinking later… He was just wondering what Luke might be up to, when he felt his son's rapidly approaching presence. Vader did not turn but he knew Luke had stepped onto the bridge and was now walking up to him.

His son was silent. He stood to Vader's right, his eyes glued to the viewport and the rebel fleet. Vader prodded at the boy's mind, and was not surprised to feel a great deal of confusion. When he finally looked closer at him, he saw Luke was worrying his thumb between his teeth.

"Don't bite your nails." Vader snapped, before he could even think it over. He immediately regretted having said it; it had sounded much too fatherly. Apparently Luke thought so too because he disregarded the order with a slight frown.

"I came as soon as I sensed the rebels," Luke said quietly, then eyed the officers around them whom were all trying to subtly listen in, and added, "Master."

Vader let out a gritty sigh. "I did not think we would have to have this conversation again, young one, but I hope your feelings are clear."

"They are this time." Luke said automatically, his unblinking eyes still on the Mon Cal ships. There was a long silence, and then Luke sighed too. "Will there be a fight?"

"Almost definitely." Vader replied slowly, waiting for Luke to extrapolate on his concerns.

He didn't have to wait long. "Will we go out in fighters?" He asked quickly, barely managing to hide his enthusiasm. Vader turned his head again to look down at his son, and hesitated. He wanted to say no, because he knew he was still supposed to be punishing Luke for his insolence, but a larger part of him wanted to see his boy fly. So he nodded and looked back into space, but not before noticing the spark that flared in Luke's eyes.

The boy masked his joy well however when he next answered; "Good." Vader gave a deep chuckle, and only just stopped himself from placing his hand on Luke's shoulder.

And then, just in time, a cloud of X-Wings was released from the Mon Calamari armada, heading together in several loose formations towards the _Executor_. Vader could feel Luke squirm next to him, so he did not hesitate this time. "Come with me." He said, turning in a swish of black cape and stalking over to the central lift. Before they could enter, they were intercepted by Admiral Piett, who seemed to be on his toes this time.

"Dispatch several squads of TIE fighters, and have Black Two and Three awaiting my orders. I am going to lead the fleet along with my apprentice in TIE Interceptors." Vader growled as he sidestepped the admiral in order to join Luke, who was already inside the lift. Piett shot a single look of surprise at Luke, but did not question any of the given orders. The door of the lift closed and Vader entered the floor number for the main hangar.

"You have flown a TIE fighter before I believe?" Vader asked suddenly, as the elevator brought them down.

"Yes." Luke answered somewhat awkwardly. Neither of them needed to voice it; Luke had only flown a TIE once, but he had been very successful in destroying the Death Star with it. That was a subject he had yet to breach with his son, but now was not the time.

"Good. An Interceptor is not much different, you'll see." Vader growled, then the door opened again and they stepped out into the hangar. An officer rushed over and began to salute, but Vader whisked him away. He was in his natural element now. He had been commanding pilots practically his whole life. However the officer still found it necessary to address his troops for him. The pilots were all aligned smartly, to attention, their eyes flickering between Vader and the shorter form of Luke, who was once again trailing behind his father.

"Supreme Commander on deck!" The officer announced at the troops, and the pilots all bent at the knees in a bow. They were already dressed for combat; only their helmets were missing. Vader sighed and dismissed the officer, who scrambled away to shout at some other people. Vader paced in front of the squad of pilots for a moment before speaking.

He wasn't one for motivational speeches, so it was brief. "This day will see a significant blow to Rebellion. Get to your ships and make the Empire proud." His mechanical breath punctuated the end of his statement loudly, and the pilots all saluted at once, as one. They left to climb in their ships with their own squads until only two pilots were left standing; Black Two and Three. Vader walked up to them quickly and beckoned Luke forward.

"This is Luke, my apprentice." He barked and his two wingmen stared at the boy. "Black Two will serve as my primary wingman today. Black Three, I am appointing you to Luke."

"As you command, My Lord." Black Three answered with a curt nod, her eyes still on Luke, whom, Vader was pleased to see, was attempting to look more confident and imposing. It was amazing how poised he could look, when Vader had seen him look so vulnerable when they were alone. He suspected Luke was unaware of how impressive he managed to look sometimes.

The two pilots hurried off to their ships, as Vader led his son to the Interceptors. He always kept two or three on board the _Executor_ , all of which he had purchased and modified himself. As soon as they were on the ledge facing the racks, Luke approached one of the TIEs and examined it all around. Vader was amused by his son's fascination with ships, but they didn't have time for this.

"That one is mine," he stated and Luke stepped away from it. "It has the most firepower and its wings are a little larger."

"Did you modify it yourself?" Luke asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"Yes. All these TIE Interceptors are mine, and they all have special qualities. This one for example," he pointed at the one on the left, "has less cockpit room, but it is slicker, and therefore capable of higher speeds and sharper turns. It will do for you, now get it." He watched Luke don the pilot suit and once it was done, Vader climbed into his own ship. His body suit was quite capable of sustaining him in any environment. "Our comm frequency should already be programmed in, but if not, it is channel 16." He called out to Luke just before the dome of their cockpits sealed down.

Vader fiddled with the comm until he found the frequency for the bridge. "An update on the situation, Admiral?"

Admiral Piett's firm voice sounded over the comm immediately. "Three more squadrons of X-Wings have been deployed, but they have not yet started an attack run."

"Very well." Vader replied, before switching back to channel 16 to check on his son and the other two Black pilots. "Luke; you will be Black Four, do you copy?" He asked, hardly needing to specify his identity.

"This is Black Four. I copy." Luke answered, and Vader could practically hear the grin in his voice. He was already excited and they had not even left the hangar yet. Vader could hardly contain his own urge to smile now. His son's mood was once again having an unexpected, and undesirable, effect on him.

"Prepare to launch and enter your positions." He said before firing up his TIE. The roar and rumble of the twin engines filled his ears, rattling him to the bone, and the feeling was as exhilarating as always. Another few moments of checking his ship's status and he was off, blasting into space followed by his wingmen. Once outside they formed a perfect triangular formation behind him and awaited his lead.

Vader watched the swarms of X-Wings, which were all still circling their own fleet protectively. "Attack formation." Vader ordered and watched as Luke and Black Three drifted away to position themselves together. "Wait for my signal." He then said, turning back to glance at the rebel ships. The Mon Calamari vessel _Home One_ was still in the same spot, its shields up, and more rebel fighters were being dispatched. However, none of them had opened fire.

Something caught his eye and he was momentarily distracted by Luke, who was swerving around in front of him in what was clearly a playful manner. "Black Four…" Vader said automatically, before even thinking about what he wanted to say. "What are you doing?"

The comm crackled for a moment, and then Luke replied happily; "Trying out the controls." He gained some speed suddenly, coming very close to another squadron of TIEs, but sharply pulled out at the last moment, instead executing a long, loose turn around Vader so the screech of both their ships jarred together.

"Luke!" Vader growled, forgetting for a second that they were in space and on an open channel.

"You're no fun." His son's playful voice called back, and for a moment Vader couldn't see him anymore. Then suddenly he noticed Luke's TIE had changed its position and was now tailing him from above, from a distance that Vader did not consider safe. He sighed at his son's reckless nature, but seeing as he'd inherited it from him…

"Two can play at that game, young one." He grumbled as he yanked on his controls in order to meet Luke's ship head on. His son was forced to execute a break manoeuvre, shouting out in surprise. A moment later however, Luke was laughing. Before Vader could realize what had happened, and reflect that it was his fault for playing Luke's little game, his son's Interceptor had once again disappeared. Vader zoomed back to his original position and quickly located him on his scopes.

In a few sharp turns he had caught up with his son again, but the boy was ready this time and he veered around, taking full advantage of his ship's greater speed and capacity for precise tricks.

"Settle down Black Four." Vader finally sighed, and he saw Luke's ship lose speed in front of him. "Prepare to attack the rebel snubs." He then said in a louder voice, and both Black Two and Three answered; "Copy that, Black One." If they were confused by the small game between Vader and Luke, they were not fool enough to mention it. And his wingmen were two of the rare people Vader did trust to a certain extent. They were both exceptional pilots. He would not have to ask them to remain silent about anything; they obeyed him implicitly.

Vader slowed now and resumed watching the X-Wings. None had moved to attack position yet; they were all simply circling _Home One_. But the Mon Calamari vessel was out of range of the _Executor_ for now. What were they waiting for?

Annoyed, his already thin patience worn out by the rebels, Vader decided it was time. He was about to give the order to begin attacking, when a new ship dropped from _Home One_ and made its way into the rebel ranks. Vader faltered. He could feel that his mouth was still open, but he could not stop staring at that ship. That _blasted_ ship.

The _Millennium Falcon_ flew around the X-Wings for a moment before slowing and positioning itself closer to the first squads. Vader clamped his mouth shut and grit his teeth as he prodded the Force. He found Luke was not surprised by the sudden appearance of the YT Freighter, rather anxious. That was all he needed to know. "Luke…" Vader began in a soft tone of voice. However, the rebels chose that moment to open fire, and suddenly it was chaos. Vader snarled and brought his squadron tighter upwards, heading for the biggest amassment of X-Wings.

"Take them out." He ordered, his voice dripping with venom. His eyes were still on the _Falcon_ however, which he eyed as it made quick work of a few TIE fighters. Luke had chosen not to reply to Vader's unspoken inquiry, and was currently struggling to defeat one X-Wing as two others tailed him. Vader watched the progress of Luke's fight and was relieved when Black Three destroyed one of the rebels pursuing his son.

He was then distracted by a problem of his own; a few X-Wings had decided to target him now. Vader was skilled enough that he could avoid them and quickly change his direction, but they were still annoying. He kept his eye on the _Millennium Falcon_ however and saw that it was locked in combat with several TIEs. It was quite unnecessary that Vader join in; he couldn't ignore the rest of the rebel fleet in favour of one ship…

There were a few more moments of dizzying frenzy as the assault continued, but it was not in anybody's favour. Both sides were losing ships fast. Even the _Executor_ 's cannons, which had now joined in, weren't doing enough.

Vader was concentrated on destroying a particularly irritating X-Wing when he heard Luke's voice over the comm.

"Black One, this is Black Four, I think _Home One_ is attempting an escape."

Vader glanced around and saw that he was right. The massive Mon Cal ship was slowly drifting away into a position that would allow them to go into hyperspace. Its hull was already too far away for his flagship to target! Without hesitating, Vader switched his comm frequency so that he could be heard on every channel and gave his new orders. "This is Black One. Ignore the X-Wings; out target is now _Home One_. Prevent it from leaving." He then switched to the channel that communicated with the bridge.

"Admiral Piett, get a lock on _Home One_ and prepare a boarding party." He did not wait for a response before he switched back to channel 16, where Luke was addressing Black Three.

"Come around, come around! I'll get them for you." Vader turned his head slightly to watch as Luke expertly twirled around the other TIE and targeted an X-Wing, which blew away in a fiery ball.

"Thanks a bunch, Black Four…" The wingman's shaky voice sounded over the comm, making Vader sigh. Apparently Luke had managed to get friendly with his Black Three while they were both in different cockpits.

"Luke," Vader started, intending on questioning the boy about the _Millennium Falcon_ , but Luke was still talking with Black Three, making a point of ignoring him. Vader seethed and briefly considered shouting, but they were upon _Home One_ now and he had to concentrate. Apparently the rebels had thought they could distract them with their snub ships while the larger Mon Cal ship escaped. Vader tried not to think of the fact that it had been Luke who had noticed.

TIEs flew away in every direction to encircle _Home One_ , which started to move upwards to evade them, but it was no use; the _Executor_ was faster and its tractor beam too powerful.

Finally the rebels were trapped, defeated by their own strategy and betrayed by a boy who had once been their greatest asset.

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	19. Chapter 19

Luke was panicking; he hadn't counted on the _Falcon_ showing up so soon. In retrospect that was a bit short-sighted of him, and there was nothing he could do now that Vader had seen it, but he wished there was something to make the Sith forget about it, even just for a while. This called for something reckless.

Reckless was practically his middle name.

He suddenly noticed the _Falcon_ had come up behind him, but that it wasn't targeting him. Call it a guess, but he was pretty sure Han was wondering if he was the one in this particular Interceptor. Luke tugged on the controls and pulled his TIE around, shooting a few lasers out near the _Falcon_ , only as a warning. The Corellian freighter swerved out of the way at once, but kept on his tail. Shrugging, Luke then went back to his previous trajectory and blasted two more X-Wings out of the way as he steadily approached _Home One_. If that didn't put Han back in his place he didn't know what would.

Behind him the _Falcon_ came back into position, and Luke was momentarily worried it would fire on him. He knew it was a good ship and that there wouldn't be much he could do against it, so he gripped the controls, ready to evade. Eventually however, the _Falcon_ dropped from its position and, curious, Luke reached out into the Force.

He gasped. He'd done it automatically and hadn't been expecting to feel anything back, other than possibly his father's dark, angry presence. But there had definitely been something there. He'd been visited by emotions that weren't his. A mix of confusion and resentment welled up in the back of his mind, causing him to lose his focus for a moment. The presence was almost vaporous, and much softer than Vader's. It had an opposite effect on him, too. He felt like he wanted to let the presence in and share everything with it.

But he also knew it was dangerous. He had no idea who this presence in the Force belonged to or why he had felt such an impulse to reach out to it, but it mustn't happen again. Perhaps if he discussed it later with his father, he would find out what it was, but for now it was better to forget it. There were more important things to worry about.

He shrugged off the _Millennium Falcon_ , pushing any thought of the mysterious presence out of his mind for now. Vader's Interceptor was visible in the distance, already apprehending _Home One_. Around him, X-Wings were beginning to speed off into hyperspace; the order to flee had probably just been given. Luke didn't know what to feel as he stared upwards at the massive Mon Calamari ship. He knew all of the Alliance's strategies inside out, so as soon as he'd noticed its attempt to drift away and escape, his first instinct had been to warn his father about it. He hadn't even thought it over or hesitated. What that meant was not yet clear to him however. Was he really becoming so submissive to Vader's will? All the most important people of the Alliance must be on that ship – Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, Crix Madine… And Luke had sold them out in an instant.

But nothing had happened yet, he reminded himself. Perhaps Mon and the others were already gone with the escape pods. Maybe nobody would be captured today, maybe… He wanted to think that maybe Vader wouldn't ask him to murder again, and as the thought crossed his mind he felt a guttural desire pent up inside him, making him simultaneously recoil as well as shiver with pleasure.

His father's voice sounded over the comlink, interrupting his musings. "Luke," he growled, but Luke had already known he was angry, "I want you to go back to the _Executor_ with the rest of the TIEs. Wait in the hangar with Black Two and Black Three."

"But… I…" Luke started, torn between relief and aggravation. He wasn't sure he wanted to face Mon or anybody else for that matter, but he was also indignant that his father did not want to include him in this.

"I do not like to repeat myself, young one." Vader stated, his voice rasping now.

"Copy that, Black one." Luke finally said, his tone devoid of emotion. "See you back on the Destroyer."

The line went quiet then and Luke knew Vader had changed the channel. Smirking grimly, he gripped the controls and swerved back around to follow the other TIEs, which were already halfway back to the _Executor_. He was grumbling to himself as he flew, and didn't notice at first that the _Millennium Falcon_ was still tailing him, albeit from a greater distance than before.

Smirking again, this time at Han's nerve, Luke punched the accelerator and sped towards the _Falcon_ in an attack position at breakneck speed, his TIE screeching. The beaten up freighter pulled out of the confrontation at the very last moment, as though it had been waiting for him to do it first. Luke turned back almost immediately and released a few loose shots toward the _Falcon_ , which evaded them quite easily.

The warning seemed to go through, or perhaps, Luke imagined, Leia had finally begged Han to stop messing around with an enemy ship, and the _Millennium Falcon_ backed off. It swooped down to a safer distance and Luke watched with a strange feeling of regret as it blasted away in a quick white flash. Once it was gone he looked back to the immense form of the _Executor_ , still hanging in space above him. He continued to fly towards it and did not glance at the spot where the _Falcon_ had just been a moment ago, but the strange feeling did not go away.

It was that feeling again – the same one as when he had touched that presence through the Force – but this time it was like it had been snatched away from him. More than ever, he had felt like he should have gone with the _Falcon_ , been on it with Han and Leia and Chewie…

But his place was here. The darkness inside reminded him, warned him, to stay focused. His friends were distractions, nothing more. His father needed him here.

The _Executor_ 's hangar was coming up now, and Luke was the last TIE to return. He landed easily on the racks and shut off all the controls before carefully extracting himself from the tiny cockpit. The ship still felt warm close to the engines, which was where his hands settled to steady himself once he was free. He removed the black helmet and breathed in a gulp of fresh oxygen. The cool air of the hangar bay felt nice on his skin, covered in a thin sheen of sweat. He then mussed up his damp hair, which had flattened under the helmet, and went to join the other two wingmen.

They were waiting by the empty space on the rack where Vader would land when he returned. Luke adjusted his flight suit self-consciously as he approached the pilots; they both looked so put together with their crisp uniforms and perfect military haircuts. You probably didn't get appointed as Vader's wingmen for nothing, Luke reflected. Up close however, he noticed they were looking at him rather curiously and did not look at all intimidated, for which he felt grateful.

Black Two gave him a small salute when Luke came to a halt in front of them, and Black Three hastily imitated him before speaking; "That was some excellent flying." She commented, and Luke felt sure she’d been about to say 'Sir' or something like that afterwards, but had not known which title to use.

"You can call me Luke." He supplied quickly. "And thanks! You were really good yourselves."

"Well you don't get to be on Black Squadron if you're no good," Black Three said rather proudly, threading fingers through her choppy brown hair. "It's sort of exclusive."

Luke grinned. "I think I'd figured that out myself."

"How did you like the Interceptor?" Black Three went on eagerly.

"It was so much fun, actually. The controls are a lot more precise than regular TIE fighters aren't they?"

"Well we wouldn't know," Black Two said, speaking for the first time. "We've never flown one."

"Why not?"

"Lord Vader doesn’t let just anybody pilot his personal ships." Black Three told him, smiling. "Speaking of which, I've never seen you around before. How does Lord Vader suddenly have an apprentice?"

Luke looked away for a moment. He had known the conversation would come to this eventually, but these two were pilots as well, wouldn't they rather talk about ships? He sighed and looked back at Black Three. "He doesn't _suddenly_ have an apprentice, he's just suddenly letting everyone know. So tell me, how did you guys end up being Vader's wingmen?"

His haste to change the subject was rewarded, and Black Three was quick to tell the tale, her proud look back on her face. "We were both top students at the Imperial Flight Academy. After graduating I flew with the regular _Executor_ squad for a while, until one day Lord Vader comes up to me and says he wants me to be his wingman! I thought it must be a joke at first – well obviously I couldn't quite believe it, but when Lord Vader offers you something it's in your best interest to accept." She shot Luke a sneaky grin now; "But I suppose you already know that don't you?"

Luke felt glad the feeling he'd had while talking with Black Three in space had been right; she was being very nice to him. Black Two seemed more reluctant to speak, but maybe he was just shy. "So do you two work often with Vader?"

"Every time he has to fly a TIE! Mr Black Two here gets most of the jobs though seeing as he’s more experienced." She jabbed his thumb at Black Two, who looked sheepish.

"Don't you two have names? I thought only stormtroopers called themselves by numbers." Luke asked, feeling strange having to call them Black Two and Black Three outside of a cockpit.

"Sure we do," Black Three said with a laugh. "My name is Nat and he's Zed. Hey, I must say though, you seem rather cheerful for an apprentice of Lord Vader's." She was looking curious again and Luke smirked at the less-than-subtle attempt at bringing the conversation back around to him, but answered coolly.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Nat still tried her luck; "Why not?"

"I may look cheerful to you right now, but I'm sure you've heard stories about me. So, you'll know not to make me angry and drop the subject." Luke told them both, and his voice was suddenly full of that dark, rich quality that made him sound slightly more like his father.

"We don't really hear that many stories," Zed told him casually. "Other TIE pilots tend to avoid us… But honestly they exaggerate about our relationship to Lord Vader. We don't flatter ourselves; we know he doesn't care about us any more than the others. We know our lives are on the line too if we make a mistake."

This reminder about his father's tendency to murder people who displeased him did nothing to lift Luke's morale. He just nodded, hoping it would be enough to dissuade them. However, Nat started to ask what kind of stories they should have heard and Luke flashed her his best glare. She wasn’t very talkative after that.

Luke was busy wondering how in the galaxy Nat was even still alive if she acted this way around Vader, when another TIE Interceptor zoomed into the busy hangar. Its screech died out as it landed, and Luke turned to watch his father climbing out of it.

Next to him, Zed and Nat came to attention, their hands pulled up in a firm salute. Vader ignored them completely and immediately rounded on Luke. His breaths came quick and short between his words.

"Never disobey my orders again! It was a combat situation, and I expected you to do as you were told!" Vader had taken several steps forward so he was towering over him, but Luke didn't flinch. He'd never seen his father so agitated when he was angry before, but he could feel that he wasn't in any danger. When you'd seen Vader turn on you with a lightsaber, it was hard for him to top that feeling of fear again.

He calmly looked up at the mask, his chin nearly grazing the flashing control board of his father's chest. "I didn't mean to disobey any orders. Maybe if you'd been more clear –"

Vader growled audibly, interrupting him, and this time Luke took a small step back in alarm. "You are fortunate that we have prisoners to interrogate right now, but I assure you that later on you'll wish you had paid more attention out there." He was pointing in Luke's face as he often did when he was really angry, so Luke though it might be better not to retort or Vader might start strangling people around them for no good reason. He looked down slightly and nodded.

"You are dismissed." Vader then said, waving a hand over at the two other Black pilots. Luke stole a glance at Nat and saw that she looked quite uncomfortable. Her eyes were definitely wider. Both pilots gave short bows before leaving. There was a long silence between Luke and his father, but then Vader took a step back and started to walk towards the exit; it was implied that Luke should follow. It was only once they were back in the corridors, eerily silent after the noisy hangar, that Vader spoke again.

"We shall speak at length about what happened, later. For now, do nothing without my permission." His deep voice seemed to echo around the walls, humming somewhere below Luke's ribcage.

"Isn't that what we always do – speak at length?" Luke asked wearily.

Vader's pace slowed noticeably, but it picked up almost immediately. "If you continue to try my patience, you will truly know the meaning of punishment."

Luke stopped himself short of replying that he wasn't questioning him, as he thought better of it. Instead he simply fell silent and followed Vader to wherever it was they were headed now, or perhaps _whoever_ it was. Luke had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he was not going to like what was coming. They reached a door at last and Vader halted him for a moment. The door opened a few seconds later and a smartly dressed, tall and burly Imperial officer stepped out.

"Ah, Lord Vader," he acknowledged. "They are ready for interrogation."

"Very well." Vader replied in a bored tone of voice and stared the officer down until the man understood that this was his cue to leave now. Luke shifted uneasily, which his father clearly noticed. "Luke, let your anger free. I can feel it burning beneath the surface." He placed a rough hand on Luke's shoulder. "These people are our enemies."

Luke had not planned on nodding to this, but he did so anyway. With that, the door swiftly slid open and they stepped inside. If he was honest Luke had been expecting to see her, but he still felt a pang when he met eyes with Mon Mothma. Even seated on a simple chair, with her hands firmly tied together, she managed to look important and composed. Beside her stood Admiral Ackbar, who had not even gotten a chair, and a rebel pilot Luke thought he recognized from Gold Squadron. Another Imperial officer stood at the left side of the room and he addressed them once the door was shut.

"The pilot was apprehended at the very last moment. It seems the hyperdrive of his ship was damaged and he was unable to escape." He said, eyeing the prisoners. "The Mon Calamari attempted to stop us from capturing Mothma, and killed over ten troopers before we stopped it." Luke frowned at the man's use of the word 'it', before remembering how shitty many Imperials were about non-humans.

"That will do officer." Vader said, lifting a hand. "Leave us."

The man hesitated only for a second, but steadily made his way to the door. "I believe His Majesty wants Mothma to be kept alive –" He began to say, but Vader snapped at him; "I am aware of the Emperor's orders." The man's face gave a strange tic, but he then bowed and left the room.

Luke looked around awkwardly. It was not quite a cell block, but it was still bare and cold like one. As if Vader had heard his thoughts, and he probably had, he spoke out; "I did not trust them to be under enough supervision in the cell block, after what happened last time we captured rebels."

At long last Luke could not take it anymore and he looked back at Mon. Her eyes were rather cold, but there was still a certain amount of curiosity, even doubt, there.

"We meet again, Darth Vader." Mon said simply, her eyes suddenly flickering to the tall Sith.

"Dispense with the pleasantries, Mothma," Vader growled, pacing a little in front of her. "I mean business. You won't escape me this time." As he spoke, Mon's careful smile faltered. "Now tell me, why is it you let yourself be captured, when so many others, pilots and mere officers, escaped?"

"I’m not like you Vader. I consider pilots and officers valuable human beings too. I gave them time to escape and, by mere miscalculation, I was captured." Mon said calmly, her gaze never leaving the empty black sockets of Vader's mask.

Vader let pass two or three of his slow, rattling breaths, before saying; "How noble of you."

Mon did not answer so he turned to the pilot, who was also making quite an effort at looking calm and collected, though his face kept twitching in fear. Luke definitely recognized him, but he did not know his name. The pilot couldn't have been much older than him, perhaps as old as twenty-five. A relatively new addition to the Alliance fleet.

"What about you? Do you have anything valuable to tell me?" Vader asked, in a quiet, calm tone of voice that wasn't fooling anybody.

The pilot opened and closed his mouth a few times, breathing deeply, before saying loudly; "I'll never tell you anything." He then shouted out in pain and grasped his left shoulder with his other hand. His left arm was hanging loosely now and the more Luke looked at it, the more it seemed like it had been dislocated. He looked back at his father, but the Sith had not moved. Luke hadn't even felt any tremor through their bond.

"I shall make this very simple," Vader said as he looked at Mon, in that same quiet voice. "For every question I ask that goes unanswered, another bone will break in this man’s body."

Mon was staring at the pilot with a frightened expression on her face, but the man shook his head wildly. "Don't tell him anything – AHHG!" This time he bent forward and took hold of his ankle, which had suddenly bent into an unnatural angle with a sickening crack. Luke was staring at the pilot with bizarre fascination, but found that he was quite unaffected. The dark side was clouding his judgement, making it easier to witness, and his anger still bubbled freely at the bottom of his soul, ready to lash out at any moment.

"Now, perhaps you would like to tell me the location of the new rebel base? Or was the _Home One_ acting as such?" Vader asked, still watching Mon. She glared back at him steadily and there were a few short moments of silence, filled only with the quiet whimpering of the pilot seated on the floor at her right. An instant later the pilot was bent in two again, hissing in pain through his clenched teeth as his right hand gripped loosely at his midriff. His eyes were full of tears now, and he shut them tightly.

Mon didn't seem to dare look at the pilot, so she continued to stare resolutely at Vader. She was pointedly ignoring Luke, but that suited him just fine for now. Vader was very still, his mask fixed upon Mon's face. "What about your information? How are you getting intel about the Empire's plans? I want names."

She remained impassive, merely looking up at Vader defiantly. Next to her Ackbar was also stoic, but looked even less nervous. Luke supposed it was because Vader had completely ignored him up to now, but it probably was not a good sign. It shocked Luke to think that maybe his father also considered non-humans to be lesser beings. He'd have to bring it up sometime and find out.

When Mon didn't supply an answer, Vader lifted his hand up towards the pilot and squeezed his fingers together quickly. The man choked and brought his functional hand up to his neck, but Vader broke that one too. Half choking and half screaming, the pilot slumped, only feebly struggling against the hold of the Force. Luke was sure Vader was going to kill him; he could sense the man inches from death. At the last moment however the deep rumbling of the Force ceased and he went limp, though he was still breathing with difficulty. Both his arms and a leg had been rendered useless and he'd just been choked halfway to death – Luke would have been surprised if the man remembered his own name right now.

"Luke!" A voice called out to him and at first he thought it was in his mind, so occupied was he with staring at the tortured pilot. "Luke – do something!" He forced his eyes away from the dying man and looked at Mon. Her eyes were silently pleading just as Leia's had been on Sullust. For a reason he couldn't quite fathom, he felt angry again. His hands were shaking, and he wanted to do something about it; he _needed_ to do something or he'd burst…

Everybody in the room was staring at him now; Mon imploring him to act, Ackbar seemed rather distressed and the pilot slowly opened his eyes to glance at him, releasing a few tears which stained his dirty cheeks. Finally, Vader's head turned to the side and Luke knew he too was watching him.

"Take care of the pilot, he is no longer useful." Vader said sharply as he turned his back on him again, to face Mon.

Luke clenched his jaw and a cold sweat erupted above his brow. The pilot was squinting at him through droopy eyelids, clearly still in great pain. He'd just be releasing him from the pain, really. Raising his hand in an imitation of Vader, Luke tensed at the shoulders and focused on the one thought of killing the man. Whatever it was he'd been expecting to happen didn't occur however. His intention hadn't specifically been to strangle him, but he was still surprised when the pilot started to gag. Blood spurted from his nose, foamed from between his lips and the pilot fell backwards onto the floor. The dark flow of blood did not cease, pooling slowly around his head on the polished grey floor.

There was no doubt in Mon's gaze anymore when Luke turned to her again. She looked utterly horrified. Luke, surprisingly, felt guiltless. Usually he'd start to feel terrible about what he'd done by now, but as he stared again at the limp body of the pilot, he found it impossible to really feel anything. He was still slightly angry however; murder had not yet quenched that thirst this time.

He closed his eyes and slipped into the comforting numbness of the Force. Vader's presence was there, and he transmitted to Luke his satisfaction. This was the only feeling that got through to Luke; his father was proud of him and that was all that mattered. He couldn't bring himself to care about anything else right now.

Feeling Mon's gaze on him still, Luke looked up at her. She was shaking her head slowly. "Luke, what are you doing?" She whispered.

Luke looked briefly to the dead pilot, then back to her. "You _did_ tell me to do something… Maybe you should have been more specific."

Mon looked, if possible, even more horrified at this. They continued to look at each other silently, Mon glaring and Luke merely staring back unflustered, until a growl from Vader interrupted their silent confrontation. "That's enough, Luke." He nodded even though his father's back was turned, and looked away from Mon.

"Admiral Ackbar," Vader said suddenly, turning slightly to at last look upon the Mon Calamari. "I doubt the Emperor will have any interest in you. Do you have any last words?"

The Mon Cal was silent a moment, his large eyes peering over to Mon. Finally he gave a great sigh. "Not to you." He said roughly, his face full of contempt as he regarded Vader. Luke watched the exchange and bit his lip, wondering what Vader would ask him to do now. However, his father did not say anything more and simply drew his lightsaber. It was ignited with a sharp hiss and a low, glowing red light filled the room, reflected on the glossy surface of Vader's mask. Luke couldn't help but flinch when Ackbar was scythed by the weapon. The admiral fell to the floor slowly, gripping vaguely at his chest where a large gaping, sizzling wound had been formed, and was still.

Mon looked like she was trying not to cry, but she couldn't hide the fact that she was shaking; Vader's blade had no doubt passed very close to her as well.

The Sith put away his weapon quickly and resumed talking as though nothing had happened. "If you have nothing more to say, I shall leave you in the hands of the guards until we reach Coruscant. Believe me, nothing would give me more pleasure than killing you myself, but no doubt the Emperor will have a clean little execution planned for you."

“You’re a monster,” Mon seethed at once. “Even if you execute me, the Alliance will defeat you soon enough. Your Empire’s reign of terror is coming to an end. The people will no longer stand for it!” She glanced at Luke. “I can’t believe I ever trusted _you._ ”

Before Luke could think to say anything, Vader made a low sound of dismissal. “You are free to believe that if it brings you peace,” he said. “But I assure you the future of the Empire has never been more assured.”

He turned and steered Luke along with him to the door. "Enjoy your final hours." He stated as they left, and Luke couldn't help himself; he stole a final look at Mon, but she was still looking down at Ackbar's body.

Even now that Vader was no longer towering over her, she still did not cry. Luke shook himself and followed Vader out into the corridor. His father was already at least ten paces away when Luke carefully made sure the door was closed, so he rushed after him. He opened his mouth to ask what they were going to do now, but Vader turned to him and raised a hand to indicate that he remain silent.

Luke bowed his head and followed Vader like a shadow all the way back to the bridge, where Vader proceeded to bark at Admiral Piett. "I thought it should have been fairly obvious we are to return to Coruscant! When where you planning to change our course?"

For the first time since Luke knew him, Piett looked rattled. He seemed to struggle with his words for a moment before answering. "I was awaiting your orders, My Lord."

"Incompetence!" Vader growled back, causing Piett to flinch. Silence rang on the bridge for a few long seconds, causing everyone to jump when Vader spoke again; "Well? You know my orders now. Get moving or I assure you your death will be long and unpleasant."

Piett gave an involuntary jerk, but bowed hastily a moment later. "At once My Lord." He then rushed away into the next room. Luke had remained close to the exit, and was ready to follow Vader as he left the bridge swiftly. Vader's treatment of Piett had brutally reminded Luke that he was in trouble too, and he was not looking forward to facing Vader's wrath.

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	20. Chapter 20

The meditation pod sat open as usual to the right side of the room, its white interior harsh to Luke's eyes against the darkness of the rest of the space. Bracing himself, Luke stood with his back to it and watched as Vader took several steps toward him. For a moment he actually feared his father might hit him, such was the fury radiating from him, but nothing came despite how agitated he seemed.

"I don't even know what to say Luke." He finally said quietly, but he sounded much angrier than he ever could have if he'd shouted. Luke felt something clench in his gut. He would have liked to say something in response, but found himself unable to speak at the moment.

Vader emitted a long angry sigh. "When I asked you where you were this morning you told me you'd been _'staying out of trouble'_. Those were your exact words." He seemed to hesitate now, but finally he just went straight to the point. "Now, I think you might be able to tell me why exactly the _Millennium Falcon_ was back in the rebel ranks today."

"I might." Luke answered slowly, his ability to speak restored by his father's dangerous tone of voice.

"Do not toy with me Luke!" Vader snapped, his voice a little louder now.

"Well what do you want me to tell you?" Luke asked hotly. "It's exactly what it looks like, alright? I got a droid to pilot the _Falcon_ back to Han."

Vader was silent for a long time and Luke was beginning to feel impatient as he waited for an answer. At last, Vader spoke, and he sounded deeply disappointed. "Son, how do you expect to gain my trust like this? You obey my orders when it suits you, but the moment my back is turned you go and do something like this. For reasons quite beyond me, I am trying to grant you more autonomy, when clearly I could have you locked inside a room all day long under heavy surveillance. Is that what you want? It might make both of our lives easier."

"No," Luke said quickly. "That's not what I want at all. But I can't be around the _Falcon_. You couldn't understand."

"I think I could," Vader told him sharply. "I have been trying to forget certain things about my past for over two decades now, but I am constantly reminded of them anyway. These things could serve to fuel your anger if you were able to control them. Ships and friends are irrelevant to the quest for power and should not trouble you."

Luke looked away and bit his lip. "I don't understand how you can just let go of everything."

"You will, but it will take time." Vader replied, his tone of voice quiet once again. "You may never be able to let go completely, but I would like for you to at least give me the impression that you are trying." Luke still did not look up at his father, but the Sith went on; "Moreover, you need to convince the Emperor that you serve me unconditionally. He needs to think that you will do anything I tell you without hesitating. If he notices anything, all our efforts will have been for nothing. Do you understand this?"

"Yes," Luke sighed, "But I wish you'd calm down. I am taking the Emperor seriously." He felt his father's annoyance level rise so he repeated; "I am!"

"Forgive me if I am having doubts about that."

Luke threw up his arms and finally looked back at him; "Well what was I supposed to do? Ask you for permission before sending off the _Falcon_? That would have worked out great…"

He could practically feel Vader's temper flaring so he trailed off vaguely, suddenly afraid he may be going too far. His father gave a low growl. "And how did you think acting like a rebel sympathizer behind my back would work out?" He paused, but Luke had no answer. "You know what is at stake here. We cannot afford any distractions or reluctance on your part."

"I _understand_ , but can't you see how hard it is?" Luke said quickly, without thinking.

"Do I hear complaining?" Vader's tone was dangerously low again.

"No." Even to his own ears, he thought it sounded forced.

"I have told you before, and I cannot stress it enough, the dark side is unyielding, and not a master to be submitted to half-heartedly."

Nothing would have made Luke happier than to retort that he did not even want to submit to it in the first place, but he knew he'd be saying it only to spite his father. The darkness clawed at him angrily and he felt his own temper rise, for no particular reason. It was even starting to feel right, a fact Luke had been scared of until now. He sighed and let it take over him. What did it matter really if Mon Mothma died? What if he never saw his friends again? They no longer thought he was their friend anyway. Could he at last leave it all behind for his father?

"Will the Emperor question Mon?" He asked suddenly. Something terrible had just stirred in his mind.

His father must have sensed it. "Undoubtedly. What is troubling you?"

Luke stiffened. "Mon Mothma knows my name. She knows who I am."

"And you're telling me this now?" Vader demanded, all else forgotten. He was practically shouting now. "But of course! The entire rebellion knows who you are – they may have protected your name when you were an asset to them, but now…"

"They wouldn't! They…" Luke was mumbling, thinking of Han and Leia. But with the death of Mon Mothma, he couldn't help but wonder who would lead the Alliance now. Leia was of age now and with the close relationship she'd held with Mon, as well as the fact that her father had been Bail Organa – surely she would step up to the task, becoming at once one of the most wanted people in the galaxy, and Luke's enemy.

"Mon Mothma must not reach Coruscant." Vader declared, and Luke stared.

"Won't the Emperor be angry that you killed her?"

"His anger will be far greater if he discovers your true identity." The Sith said, already walking over to the door.

Luke was torn. Was Vader really willing to act so selflessly for his son? It seemed very unlikely. So he hesitated, spluttering a few times. "But… But… I can't let you do that! Who knows what he'll do to you?"

Vader stopped walking, and turned slightly. "I have done far worse than this to anger him in the past." Luke shook his head, and blurted out something truly foolish; "What if I did it?"

Vader gave a short laugh, but his tone of voice was dead serious when he answered. "You are volunteering to face the Emperor's wrath in my place? How touching. However, it would be no use. Either the Emperor will think you defied me, and will become suspicious, or he will think I ordered you to do it and he will be even angrier with me. I must make it look as if I killed her out of anger. You must realize what a predicament this is, Luke."

Luke slumped and looked at his feet for a moment. "What if Mon _somehow_ escaped?"

"That is unacceptable." Vader said, sounding annoyed again now. "Besides, what makes you think the Emperor would be less angry at us for incompetence than defiance? No, we must kill her now before she becomes any more damageable to our situation."

"Couldn't you search her thoughts, make her forget what she knows?" Luke asked desperately.

"Mon Mothma is not so weak minded. It is not a risk I am willing to take."

Luke knew he was beaten now and he was out of ideas.

The door opened swiftly and Vader said one last thing before leaving. "You will go back to the bridge and inform Piett that we need no longer return to Coruscant. Can you handle that?" He sounded condescending, causing Luke to look up indignantly.

"Of course I can." He said pointedly, and watched as his father left the room. He nervously ran his fingers through his hair and noticed that it needed a wash. After a few moments he realized he was alone in his father's private room. Looking around, he saw nothing except the hyperbaric chamber, which for some reason he was itching to sit inside of, and the large ebony desk in the farthest corner.

He didn't even hesitate, quickly walking over to the desk. One of the drawers contained a stack of files, but they didn't interest him. The next drawer he checked was the right one; he reached in and lifted out the small, simple box Vader had presented to him back on Coruscant. As he'd anticipated, it appeared Vader took it with him everywhere he travelled. He quickly retrieved the square datapad and turned it on. The laughing, happy face of his mother soothed him and suddenly he felt immensely better. He then looked at Anakin Skywalker with a wistful sigh.

How had this young, smiling Jedi become the most feared man in the galaxy? What would the people who had loved him think if they could see him now – Shmi Skywalker, and Padmé, and probably other friends Luke didn't know about...? He closed the datapad and put it back exactly in its place as he was struck by a painful thought. Given a few years, what would the people who had loved _him_ think? Would people also wonder how Luke Skywalker had become a Sith?

He tried to remain confident he would not lose himself completely, but this denial was starting to feel more and more like exactly that: denial.

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The atmosphere on board _Defiance_ was solemn. This Mon Calamari cruiser was now serving as the captured _Home One_ 's replacement, seeing as how the mighty vessel had practically been torn to shreds by the _Executor_ 's fire. Confusion and anxiety were palpable. Nobody knew if Mon and Admiral Ackbar had managed to get away too or when they would contact them but until they did, they had to assume the worst.

Naturally everyone had elected for Leia to replace Mon. She was overwhelmed and grateful, but had declared that she would not be taking any action until they knew for sure what had happened to her. They had not heard from the squads on Mon Calamari either, and things were beginning to look grim. Regardless, they had people monitoring every holonet news channel in case something happened. Nothing had yet been declared.

Next to Leia, Han was agitated. She knew he was bursting to discuss Luke again, but they couldn't afford to seem distracted at a time like this. Everybody in the control room was waiting for something to happen so they could plan their next move, and the least of their worries was the inner workings of Luke Skywalker's mind. Leia wished the same could be said for her. She'd started feeling slightly hopeful when Luke had sent the _Falcon_ back to them, but she still firmly believed he was not on their side. He simply couldn't be! How could a boy who had been so kind and generous and thoughtful suddenly turn so evil?

The only explanation was that Luke had been Vader's agent the entire time, exactly what Han said he was not; his father's son.

The thought was scary and, somehow, it reminded Leia of something that had happened during the dogfight over Mon Calamari. She'd been watching in disbelief as Han manoeuvred around Luke, both of them exchanging blaster shots and pursuing each other. Han had dropped their position to better tail the TIE Interceptor – there had been no doubt in their mind that this was the one Luke was inside of, for if it had been Vader they'd already have been dead – and that was when Leia had felt it.

She'd felt warm suddenly. It had been like a comforting, familiar voice had called out to her, but indistinctly, more like a… presence. She didn't know how to describe it. Something powerful had reached out and brushed at her mind. She nearly felt like she could compare it to the feeling she'd had on Sullust, when she just _knew_ something bad was about to happen. But this time she'd known someone was there. She'd felt a pang as she recognized the feeling. It was that of being with family; it had reminded her of her parents and Alderaan, times of her life when she'd been most happy.

In the cockpit of the _Falcon_ she had not thought to share it with anyone else and had attempted to shrug it off, concentrating on the life-or-death situation they had been in. But now it came back to the forefront of her mind and she let herself wonder. A thought was tugging at the back of her brain. Could it be the Force again? She was not even sure it had been the Force she felt last time.

How could it be? When Obi-Wan met Luke he had begun training him immediately, but the Force had never manifested itself through her before. She had long ago come to the conclusion that she'd never understand anything to do with the Force.

From what she could tell, it only led to trouble.

Coincidently, as this thought crossed her mind, somebody spoke out in the silence of the control room. "Channel 28! I have something!"

Everybody rushed to gather around the screens and all the channels were changed to the one mentioned. Leia braced herself and listened as the news came on. _'…has confirmed that known Rebel leader Mon Mothma has been taken into custody by the Empire after a raid above Mon Calamari by the mammoth Super Star Destroyer_ Executor _. Lord Vader remains unavailable for comment, but intel suggests his return to Imperial Centre is imminent. A statement was released a little earlier regarding further measures against the Rebel Alliance, naming Princess of the Alderaan House Leia Organa as second to Mon Mothma. Leia Organa is now the number one enemy of the Empire and a considerable reward will be issued for her capture, as well as that of any rebel ship.'_

Wedge turned down the volume at this point, shooting a considerate look at Leia.

She wasn't very shocked, a fact she hastened to make clear. "I knew what I signed up for when I joined this rebellion," she said haughtily. "I am prepared to face what is to come. We… won't assume anything more about Mon right now, but I suppose I have no choice… We'll have to find somewhere to hide for a while and think this over. We can only hope our spies in the Imperial Navy will have something of value for us soon but for now, I suggest we head out and try to establish a new base somewhere. We won't accomplish anything be remaining in deep space all the time."

Han agreed with her fervently, and he wasn't alone. Everybody's morale was rather shot down by the news, but they all seemed in favour of action.

The commander of the ship, Admiral Nammo, was still staring at the news screen in silence. Another Mon Calamari approached him and slowly placed a large webbed hand on his shoulder. "I admired Admiral Ackbar," Nammo said softly. "The _Defiance_ would be honoured to escort you to wherever you need to go, but know that it usually serves as a medical transport. We do not wish to get involved in any battles. It might be best if you contacted the _Independence_."

Leia offered a sad smile, as she understood the Mon Calamarian captain's pain; there had been no mention of Ackbar on the Holonet news, or of any Mon Cal causalities whatsoever for that matter.

"Thank you, Admiral," she said. "We understand and, as soon as we have a plan we will let you carry on your duties as usual."

The meeting was adjourned then, and Leia headed to her quarters slowly, still thinking things over. Her thoughts turned to Mon and she felt her heart sink. Mon Mothma had practically been like an aunt to her. It felt surreal that she was gone now, that the Empire would take her away from Leia just like that. They’d spoken just before the attack, reassuring each other, remembering Alderaan together as they often liked to do. It was painful for Leia to think about her home planet sometimes, but it was easier when she had Mon to confide in. She hadn’t been from Alderaan, but had often visited her father there when Leia was young. She’d know her her entire life! The pain in her heart surged.

Her eyes felt dry and she tried blinking it away. She needed to sleep for a while, that much was certain. Besides, it would take a while to scan through different areas and find a good base.

She apologized to Han and asked him to leave her alone for a while. He looked concerned but she assured him everything would be fine.

"Well okay Princess but if you need anything you know I'm there, alright?" He offered her a smile she suspected was very half-hearted.

"I know. Thanks Han." Her voice sounded choked.

"Get some rest, you certainly deserve it." He said softly. She was about to say she probably didn't, but he kissed her then and she forgot all about it.

After he left she entered the quarters that had been cleared for her and made for the bunk with a heavy sigh. All her things were still on board the _Falcon_ , but she was quite content to sleep even in her clothes so she merely removed her boots and flopped down on the bed.

She enjoyed only a few brief moments of blissful silence as she closed her eyes and attempted to relax before a voice spoke, causing her to jump up in alarm.

"Leia."

She sat up and stared around the room, ready to snap at whomever it was to leave her alone, but she was much too surprised to react when she saw who it was. The hazy bluish form of Obi-Wan Kenobi materialized in front of her, exactly as she remembered him, down to his shabby brown and beige robes. He had a peaceful look on his face.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi!" She gasped, staring as the ghost nodded. "What are you doing here? How are you even…?"

"I have only very recently been able to sense your presence as clearly as I do now," he told her slowly. "You never knew you were Force sensitive." It didn't sound like a question, but Leia answered it like it was one anyway.

"No, I didn't. Nobody did." She thought back; surely somebody would have told her. Even Obi-Wan had not known. "So it's true then? It was the Force I felt on Sullust…"

"I am truly sorry Leia, but I knew all along. For your own safety, I chose not to tell." His voice was thick with regret. She was confused more than anything and she suddenly questioned this whole occurrence.

"How can I even be sure I'm not dreaming or hallucinating from lack of sleep right now?" She demanded and her sentence was punctuated by a yawn, as though to prove her point.

"You're not." Obi-Wan said gently. "But you don't need me to tell you that; feel it. You know it's real."

Leia fell silent, not quite sure what he meant but deciding to go along with it anyway.

"I never told anybody you were Force sensitive, but your adoptive parents knew. We decided it would be best not to tell you, a decision I am now beginning to regret." Obi-Wan continued, and Leia frowned.

"My parents knew? But they would have told me, they always…" She drifted off, feeling hurt at Obi-Wan's implying that her parents might have kept things from her.

"They never told you who your true parents were for the same reason Leia. We wanted to protect you."

At this, she sat up straighter. "What do you mean? My parents never knew who my real parents were."

Obi-Wan seemed to hesitate for a moment before he blinked and looked aside. "The only lie they ever told you. It wasn't their fault Leia, they loved you very much. But I forced them into it so if you must blame anyone, blame me. I won't resent you for it." He looked deeply uncomfortable now and Leia hesitated to ask further questions. She was very curious, but Obi-Wan's words were tarnishing the image she still held dear of her parents. For what reason could they ever have lied to her?

She did not need to ask, for Obi-Wan continued to speak, looking back at her now. "I cannot stay for long, so you must listen to me." He waited for her to acquiesce, and went on; "You were born the very day the Old Republic fell and the Empire rose, the end of the Clone Wars, to a senator from Naboo called Padmé Amidala."

"I've heard of her." Leia interjected, shocked.

"Indeed. I was there when it happened. She died in childbirth, but not before naming you and your twin brother." Obi-Wan's words hit her like a punch.

"A twin? No… No, this can’t be true!"

"You were separated at birth, sent to Tatooine and Alderaan respectively, so that… your father would never find you." Obi-Wan said calmly, though his expression betrayed him. Leia clutched the front of her clothes.

"No," she whispered, "surely not…"

"I'm afraid so." Obi-Wan told her, as though from far away through the buzzing in her head. "Luke is your brother."

"I feel like I should have known," Leia said quietly, slowly. "It doesn't surprise me, but oh _stars_ what… Does that mean –?" She stopped talking right there, staring at Obi-Wan, awaiting confirmation of her fear.

Obi-Wan nodded gravely. "Your father was Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight. He became Darth Vader at the end of the Clone Wars."

Leia all but broke down, slipping from the bed to sit on the floor, holding herself with her arms. She could feel tears at last burning in her eyes, pent up from all that had happened today, but would not allow herself to shed them. Obi-Wan's words were hard to hear and she did not want to believe him, but as true as she knew Luke was really her brother, then she must accept that Darth Vader was her… her… It was unthinkable.

"Does Luke know?" She asked finally, glancing up at the deceased Jedi. He shook his head, but remained silent. "Why didn't you tell us? I could have saved him! I could have saved Luke! He would never have joined Vader… If he ever really was on our side in the first place," she said sadly. Obi-Wan smiled sadly.

"He was, Leia. Vader fed him lies and fake aspirations to turn him over. I do not know if it has truly succeeded; last time I talked to him he seemed most confused and distressed."

"Can't you ask him? He might tell you." Leia said, daring to be hopeful.

"He is unreachable to me now. The dark side clouds his presence, as it does with Vader's. I fear I may never be able to appear before him again. But you, Leia! Your presence has become brighter these past few weeks. Your brother's presence was holding you back before, I think." He probably saw the look on her face, for he added; "Your brother has been trained while you have not. That is the only reason. I think you may have just as much potential as he does."

"That's not true. I could never be a Jedi." Leia said sadly.

"What your Rebellion needs is not a Jedi right now. You have too many strong emotions inside you, which would take years to supress. There is no time. I have come before you with the truth so that I do not repeat the same mistake I made with Luke. You are now our only hope."

Leia took a few deep breaths and lifted herself back up onto the bunk. "But how will I learn about the Force?"

"My old master is still alive, in hiding. You could travel to him and he would teach you. It may take years to perfect a basic knowledge of your powers, but –"

"Are you kidding?" Leia interrupted. "I can't go off running after old Jedi and disappear for a few years! I'm not Luke, I have responsibilities and… I'm the leader of the Rebel Alliance, I can't just take off!" She huffed. "And Han would die laughing if I told him I wanted to become a Jedi."

"I hardly think that's of any importance Leia. Some people will never understand the Force." He sounded bitter, to which Leia took offence in Han's favour.

"Han's a good person."

"That is not the point Leia. You need to learn about the Force. You are the only hope for the galaxy to be freed from the Empire. You must fulfil the destiny your brother has failed to carry out to its end."

Leia shook her head. "I'm not leaving the Alliance. They need me."

At this Obi-Wan raised his hands in front of him in defeat. "You must do what you think is right. If you wish, I may teach you. But I cannot appear to you very often and due to my current form, your training will be minimal. I could teach you to connect with the Force and, eventually, build your own lightsaber."

She nearly laughed at the thought; her, with a lightsaber! "I would be grateful if you would teach me Obi-Wan."

"Very well then. But for now I must leave and I think you need some rest," he commented and she had to suppress another yawn at the mention of sleep. She nodded and fell back on the bunk with her head lightly resting against the wall.

"I don't want to be insensitive but… What is it like being dead?"

To her surprise, Obi-Wan smiled. "I could not explain it so you could ever understand, but it is not as bad as everybody seems to think. But life is still worth living to the fullest, and you need to stay in your own world."

Leia smiled too, hoping that wherever they were, Bail and Breha Organa were happy. Obi-Wan disappeared slowly, sparkling in the dim light of her room. Once he was gone she turned over on her side and fell asleep.

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After informing a rather startled-looking Admiral Piett that they were no longer to return to Coruscant, Luke left the bridge in direction of his own chamber. He did not understand how he could have felt so empowered, drunk from the power of the darkness, when he was now feeling so terrible. The image of the most recent pilot he'd killed, sprawled out with his head resting in his own blood, did not seem to want to fade out of his mind. How could he have done that? He thought back to the moment he had killed him, but it was foggy, as always. He could never quite relive the true feeling murdering someone with the Force gave him, until he actually did it again.

It was horrible; as much as he did not want to admit it to himself, he was now addicted to the rush of the dark side and the only way to feel it was to commit acts of violence. He should have known it would be, but it was really much worse than he could have anticipated.

Still, how could he have killed that pilot in such a… messy fashion? He should have simply strangled him. Perhaps another part of himself was blood-thirsty and he didn't yet realize it. He did not want whatever it was that yearned for such violence inside him to be set free again. Who knows what he'd end up doing? He was already so different, so detached, from the Luke Skywalker he had been mere weeks ago. Already he hated himself.

What must his father feel like every day? Did he actually _like_ this way of life? How could anybody possible like it?

That dark voice inside him whispered that he simply hadn't experienced it enough to understand. One day, he'd grow to like it too.

Luke kicked the wall randomly and sat down in the corridor he was presently in. He didn't even feel like going to his room anymore, because there he'd have to face Threepio and Artoo again. It was only once a gaggle of stormtroopers slowed and stared down at him briefly through their helmets that he shot back up again.

"What?" He shouted at them and they went on, picking up the pace. A moment later he regretted the outburst, reflecting that stormtroopers already had enough reasons to hate him without adding 'anger issues' to the list. He kicked the ground and started to walk again, in no particular direction, just trying to clear his head.

It proved impossible, as angry and violent thoughts alike crowded his mind, but walking did him some good, gave him something to do at least. After several minutes of walking around aimlessly he decided to go down to the cafeteria level and get some food. He noticed once more that murdering made him extremely hungry, and had to supress a low laugh. It wasn't exactly funny; he just really hated himself all the more for it.

The staff cafeteria could not have been more different from the one in the stormtrooper accommodations. Everyone was very silent and poised, as if they were still on duty, and the atmosphere was rather tense. To his surprise, Luke found that Harv was down here, already seated with a platter of food. The medic didn't seem to notice him come in, as he was very immersed in conversation with what looked like a bridge officer. Luke hurried to get some dinner and plopped down next to Harv.

The medic turned to look at him and his eyes widened. "Luke! What a surprise to see you here. How is your hand doing?"

"It's fine," Luke said with a smile he had to force a little. "This is actually the first time I've been down here. I'm really hungry." As if to prove his point, he immediately began to eat. Harv returned his smile, though his actually looked genuine.

"Luke, this is Lieutenant Novam. You may have seen him already; he works on the bridge under Admiral Piett." Harv told him smartly, holding his hand out to the man seated in front of him. Luke had been right then, in fact, he did recognize him now that he knew. It was just that Luke had never seen the man without a frightened expression upon his face.

"Oh, yeah," Luke said vaguely, wondering if strict etiquette was in order even in the cafeteria. It certainly seemed to be the case. "Pleased to meet you."

Novam apparently wanted to shake his hand, which Luke did after a moment of hesitation. He then reflected bitterly that nobody would want to shake his hand if they realised what he could do to people with them. The bloody mental image of the dead pilot resurfaced in his mind, and Luke hastened to eat. As usual the food was a little bland, but he was so hungry he thought he might go and get seconds.

Harv turned back to Novam; "So, what were you saying?"

Luke glanced up just in time to see Novam shoot him a wary look. Whatever it was he had been saying, he was obviously reluctant to say it in front of Luke. Grinning, Luke shook his head. "If it's about Vader, I won't tell on you. Ask Harv – he'll confirm." He looked sideways at Harv, who was smirking, remembering the tight spot he had gotten Harv out of on Coruscant. However, Novam did not seem convinced, and his mouth remained firmly sealed.

Luke was about to start asking Harv if he'd heard any new farfetched rumours about him, but something interrupted his train of thought. His father's presence all but barged into his mind; _'Luke. Come find me at once.'_

With a quick shake of his head, Luke shut himself off to Vader and focused on the present moment. He didn't want to talk with his father right now. "So Harv, have you got anything new to tell me about?"

Harv gave him a strange smirk. "That trooper's still in the medibay, but he's going to make a full recovery."

"Oh. Well that's good." Luke said, already feeling depressed. "So are you guys on break then?"

"Yes," Harv said. "But we don't want to invite you to play sabbac if that's where you're going with this."

Luke paused a moment, then laughed. "I can't believe you've heard about that already! I swear, rumours fly around here worse than –" He stopped himself just in time; he'd been about to mention something to do with the Alliance and Wes Jansen's big mouth. "Than… I dunno…" He finished quietly.

Harv gave him a strange look, but let it by. "Nothing's worse that Imperial Palace of course, but in even the ranks of the _Executor_ , people can't resist a good story." He said mildly, and then seemed to hesitate. "Was Lord Vader very angry?" He asked quietly, as though surprised by his own nerve at asking such a question.

Luke chuckled at Harv. "Not the angriest I've seen him, but pretty angry. I think he keeps wondering how I'm going to top off my most recent misadventure, and I keep surprising him." He then laughed again, happy for the relief he felt when he was speaking with Harv. The medic was no longer afraid of him, and he felt like he could joke around with him more now.

However, Harv's face faltered then and Luke noticed the whole cafeteria seemed to go a lot quieter. The murmurs coming from every table around them faded out, and Luke groaned when they were replaced by a loud mechanical breath. He heard steps behind him but didn't turn to face Vader, resuming the eating of his food. He then sensed his father come to a stop behind him, but before the Sith could speak, Luke said quickly; "Leave me alone."

"What did you say to me?" Vader's gravelly voice replied, and before he could even anticipate it, Luke was pulled upright by a large, leather-gloved hand. He struggled in his father's grip, but it was impossible to shake off.

"You will learn your place young one," Vader continued, still growling dangerously. His hand was gripping into Luke's shoulder quite painfully now and he tried to squirm out of his hold. The Sith then pushed him roughly to the side and kicked him in direction of the doors. It wasn't a hard kick, but Luke felt very diminished by it; his father had never been so rough on him in public before. His anger flared briefly within him as he followed Vader outside the cafeteria, wondering what he could possibly have done _now_. He turned for a moment to wave at Harv, but the medic didn't seem to dare wave back. Maybe he thought Vader would see him even if his back was turned.

Everyone in the room was staring at him, so he hastily looked away before he started snapping at people too. He was certainly feeling the urge now.

Once they were out in the hallway again, Luke hurried to catch up with Vader and started angrily; "What was all that for? I thought it was pretty clear I wanted some time alone!"

Vader snarled back. "Then why did you hide away in the most crowded area of the ship?"

"I meant time alone from you." Luke retorted stormily, crossing his arms. In front of him – Vader kept hurrying his pace so that Luke could not walk side by side with him – his father let out a deep, rumbling sigh.

"The Emperor demands a report on the situation. We must communicate with him at once."

Luke felt his stomach drop. "He requested my presence too?"

Vader did not answer until they reached his quarters, which only distended Luke's annoyance. "No," He finally said slowly as he shut the door of his chamber, "But no doubt will he ask to see you. It would be better if you appear to be by my side at all times. Also, you need to appear to be afraid of me in front of others."

"What?" Luke asked, confused.

"Do not forget that you are my apprentice. I may have been treating you differently because of our bond, but I am still your master. The Emperor will have people spying on us frequently; our relationship must not appear to be anything more. From now on you must act adequately, that is, my word is the law to you and you are afraid of me. Understood?" Vader had crossed his arms against his chest, prompting Luke to nod.

"Yes, master." He said somewhat wearily, and Vader then walked over to the thick circular platform in front of the meditation pod.

"Remain behind me at this distance," he pulled Luke closer, but he was still at least two meters from the rounded platform. "You shall be just outside of the Emperor's vision. Do not speak until the subject reaches you, which it no doubt will. Clear your mind of anything but anger and hate. Remember my teachings." He waited for Luke to nod again before stepping onto the platform, which lit up instantly. He fell slowly to one knee in a perfectly submissive bow, his masked face as close to the ground as it could get.

A fuzzy blue image came into being in front of Vader, occupying almost the entire space between the floor and the ceiling. The Emperor looked harshly down at Vader, his gleaming eyes only just perceptible within the shadows of his cowl. Vader's low voice sounded through the room; "What is thy bidding, my Master." It didn't sound like a question. It was a greeting, and it had been said thousands of times before.

The Emperor opened his mouth slowly and his voice was a rasp when he spoke. "Lord Vader. Your mission goes well?"

Vader went straight to the point. "Yes Master. We successfully took down the Mon Calamari vessel _Home One_ and captured Mon Mothma, as well as Admiral Ackbar. Numerous rebel snub ships were also destroyed during the attack."

"Yes I've heard." The Emperor stated lazily, eyeing Vader shiftily now. "The Rebellion will not last very long now, with both its leaders in custody. So tell me, why are you not returning to Imperial Centre as we speak?" It seemed it had been Palpatine's true intention to ask this question from the beginning as his face was now rapt with attention, nearly curious. It was amazing to Luke how a half-visible, shadowy, pasty face could transmit this much emotion.

"There is no reason to return, for both Mothma and Ackbar have been taken care of." Vader said slowly, and Luke thought he could feel he was apprehensive.

The Emperor's face was clearly angry now, but his voice sounded more disappointed. "You have disappointed me Lord Vader," he said slowly. "I thought you knew my plans were to execute Mon Mothma publicly, to show the people what the consequences of betraying the Empire are. You have robbed me of that opportunity because of your own hatred towards anyone from the Old Republic."

Luke flinched as the Emperor spoke of the Republic; his voice spat the words as though they had an awful taste, plainly translating his opinion of the previous regime.

"So then," The Emperor went on, "have you at least made any progress regarding the location of the rebels' new base?"

"I was not able to extract much from Mothma," Vader admitted, "But I know they were planning to establish a new base; and that it has not yet been done. We are tailing one of their ships, which has been fixed with a homing beacon." Luke's head snapped to the back of his father's helmet at this, but he couldn't feel anything from the Sith. He had no idea if it was a lie or not.

There was a silence and then Palpatine sighed, his head drifting backwards slightly. "Very well then. Contact me at once if you have further news."

"As you wish Master." Vader replied and Luke felt a brief flare of hope that he would not be called upon after all, but the elderly Sith had not finished.

"Bring your young apprentice before me now, I wish to speak with him." The Emperor commanded, and Vader stood slowly before taking a sharp step backwards. He grabbed Luke's arm and dragged him forward, pushing lightly in the small of his back to make him bow. Luke bowed as low as he could and felt strangely better once he could not see the Emperor's face. However, to his dismay, the Emperor ordered for him to rise.

He did so and looked firmly right back into those yellow eyes, blown out of proportion by the large hologram. Vader stood near him, though slightly behind.

"Is Lord Vader a suitable master?" Palpatine asked, and Luke noticed his thin lips were pulled into a strange smile.

"Yes, Your Highness." Luke responded at once. He didn't add anything to that statement, unsure how much it was safe to say.

"Are you afraid?" The Emperor then asked suddenly. Luke hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at Vader's masked face. To his surprise, he felt a twist of fear in the pit of his stomach and he shifted away from his father minutely, just enough so that the Emperor would notice.

"No." He answered after several moments.

The older Sith gave a raspy crackle. "You need not lie to me; your reactions are answer enough. I am pleased that Vader is keeping you to heel. Some of his previous students were a little too full of themselves, I must say." He regarded Luke with satisfaction apparent on his face. "They all met a sticky end of course," he added. "But perhaps Lord Vader is right this time; I do sense a great deal of potential in you as well as a desire to prove your worth." He paused again, breathing, then asked; "Are you angry?"

Luke clenched his jaw. "Yes. Lord Vader is showing me how to make use of my anger."

"I shall be watching your progress with great interest." The Emperor said in response, his sulphurous eyes narrowed. He then looked over Luke's head at Vader. "I expect news soon, Lord Vader. Do not be too long in your hunt. I grow weary of the rebels; it is time we finish this."

"Of course Master." Vader answered, and Luke saw him bow his head.

The image of the Emperor flickered a few times then died, leaving the room dark, lit only by the small round lights in the floor and the white interior of the hyperbaric chamber.

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	21. Chapter 21

Luke took several steps back so he was no longer upon the transmitter. He turned his back on it and his father, staring instead at the large glossy surface of the open meditation chamber. Its white interior gave off an intense light, stinging his eyes so he wasn't sure anymore whether his tears were due to the dark side's effect on him or not. The prospect of meditation sounded inviting right now, but he'd never learnt to do it correctly…

Behind him his father was approaching. Luke tensed slightly when that large gloved hand came to rest on his shoulder. It seemed Vader was becoming less constricted when it came to physical contact, but it still made Luke uneasy. He did not know what he wanted anymore. He yearned for more contact with his father, but when he received it his body recoiled from it. This contradiction between both the light and the dark was infuriating.

"Son," Vader's voice boomed. "You are quite adept at dealing with the Emperor. He does not yet suspect anything."

"We're living a lie." Luke replied in a small voice. "I feel sick, just after so little time. What's going to happen to me?"

Vader was silent for a long stretch of time and then the hand on his shoulder was removed. After several more long moments, that deep brass-toned voice spoke again. "What do you mean? You're going to get stronger."

"Remember what I did to the pilot earlier? Why did I do that when I could simply have strangled him?" Luke was grateful his father could not see his face right now, for it probably betrayed most of his grief.

"You are still learning how to control your power."

"What if _it_ controls _me_?"

"That is foolishness Luke," Vader said sharply, suddenly impatient. "The Force is yours to command. Never be ashamed of your power. The Force is strong with us both."

Something stirred in Luke's recent memory at these words, and he finally turned around to face his father. Vader was very still as he looked down at him, and he could feel him relatively calm now. "I was wondering," Luke began, "if it's possible that other Force-sensitives exist out there that we don't know about, and that they might even be unaware of." He was speaking of course of the other presence he had felt during the attack over Mon Calamari, but was unsure how best to bring about the subject. It seemed like the sort of thing Vader might be mad he hadn't immediately relayed to him.

"I suppose so." Vader stated solemnly. "But they would be untrained, we would not be able to feel them from great distances, and they would present no threat. This is why the Emperor has so readily accepted our premise regarding your origins. It has happened before for me to come across unaware Force-sensitives." He paused a moment, before adding, "They were disposed of, of course."

"How can we be sure there are no Jedi left?" Luke demanded quietly, carefully ignoring Vader's last remark.

Vader lifted his chin at this. "I have spent the larger part of the past two decades hunting down the remaining Jedi of the galaxy. I can assure you that Obi-Wan and Yoda are both very unique cases. Besides, Obi-Wan is dead by my hand now and it is only a matter of time for Yoda."

Luke nodded even as the painful memory of Ben's death resurfaced. The implications of Vader's words were appealing, as they suggested the presence he had felt had been not some renegade Jedi, but rather an untrained, and unawares Force-sensitive individual. Luke looked up and held his father's gaze, his eyes locked deeply with the dark, lifeless sockets of the mask. "I'm curious about this because I felt something while we were in space. A new presence."

"Indeed?" Vader seemed very interested.

"Yes. I think it must have been untrained, but for a moment it shone out to me very strongly. I think I now understand what you meant when you said my presence was like a beacon… But this one, it was so different from yours. It was clear and warm, and… It seemed almost familiar." Luke frowned to himself, having only just realized how true this was.

Vader had cocked his head to the left a little, which Luke interpreted as him being in deep thought. "It appears," his father said slowly, "that one of your rebel friends is Force-sensitive."

"That's what I… supposed…" Luke agreed. "But who could it be?"

"That is something you must use your feelings to find out. It is strange that you felt this presence and I did not…" Vader trailed off, sounding slightly suspicious.

"My feelings are clear, father." Luke assured him pointedly.

"I do not want to hear you say that anymore until you have proven it is true." Vader replied in an annoyed sort of voice, He didn't leave any time for Luke to answer as he immediately began to speak again. "You should meditate on this and try to locate its provenance. It might serve useful to us as we track the rebels."

"Yes father." Luke said softly, knowing as he spoke that it would be harder than Vader made it out to be. "When you told the Emperor you were tracking a rebel ship… Which one?" He tensed as he awaited Vader's response and, as he suspected, he did not like it.

"You graciously provided us with a lead by sending the _Millennium Falcon_ back to the rebels, Luke. That is partly why I decided not to punish you further. Did you really believe I would leave that ship unsupervised? I installed the homing beacon on the _Millennium Falcon_ myself and it may be some time before they realise it is there."

Luke knew this was meant as a taunt, testing his resolve, and he was determined not to prove Vader right. "Okay, so do we have a trajectory?"

"I will need to check with the officers I put on the job. The meeting with the Emperor was much more important I'm afraid."

"I'll bet." Luke replied bitterly.

His comment was ignored. "Maybe you should go get some rest." Vader suggested as he stepped around Luke towards his hyperbaric chamber, obviously keen for some meditation time himself. Luke fiddled a little with his fingers before deciding to try...

"Wait… I had something else to ask." He faltered but Vader turned back to him, inviting him to continue. "I never really learned how to meditate properly. Would you… show me?" He then tensed, very aware that this was the first time he was voluntarily asking for Vader to teach him something. Did Vader realize this as well? He could only wonder.

Just then, all sorts of conflicting emotions ran through Vader's mind, a fact Luke picked up on like a satellite dish. The Sith wanted very much to meditate alone for a while, but he also couldn't consider refusing his son, not when the boy was so readily submissive: a rare occurrence if there ever was one. Finally after much mental debate, Vader straightened and took a step away from the hyperbaric chamber.

"Very well. For starters, who taught you to meditate?"

Luke hesitated, knowing that subject was somewhat taboo. "It was Master Yoda but I spent so little time with him, that's why I didn't really…" He wondered for a moment if he should not have called Yoda 'Master', but it was too late for that.

"Ah yes. Yoda was extremely gifted at meditation," Vader said. "You seem surprised."

"It's just… I thought…" Luke awkwardly looked away.

"I may have renounced the Jedi way, but the fact remains that Yoda was extremely talented and wise. There is much he taught me in my own youth, even if I did not share some of his views."

Luke was curious. "Which views –?" He began, but Vader cut him off.

"It does not matter. I have since become more powerful than any Jedi, and therefore you need only concern yourself with my teachings." Vader crossed his arms and it was a moment before Luke realized he was expected to acquiesce to this. He nodded quickly.

"Now sit down."

**.**

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Vader watched as Luke obediently sank to the floor and assumed a cross-legged position. He actually did look eager. Perhaps he thought this would have nothing to do with the dark side. If that was the case, he would be disappointed.

He'd never been a master of meditation. As a Jedi he had lacked the discipline necessary, as well as the inner calm required to reach the thoughtless, peaceful state of true meditation. As a Sith, Darth Vader fared a little better. The constant storm inside him would never die out and he would always be unable to reach ultimate peace, but it didn't seem to matter now that he had embraced the dark side.

As Luke would soon learn to do.

For once Vader sat in front of his son, feeling strange as he did so. "Close your eyes and free your mind. Clear it of any thought whatsoever." He watched his son's face relax and soon he felt him much less tense than he had been previously. He waited a moment as Luke slipped into the numbness of a clear head, and then went on; "Think only of your desired state of mind; what you wish to achieve. Then let your feelings flow freely, without fighting whatever thoughts may arise. You must not resist them, only release them into the Force."

Luke's eyelids tightened slightly and after a while he said in a slightly anxious tone of voice; "How do I know you won't be reading my mind?"

"Ignore me." Vader said simply, as he was intending to do exactly what Luke feared.

"That's easier said than done." Luke remarked smartly but when Vader did not answer, his face smoothed down again and he continued to concentrate. It was almost instantaneous; during the next several minutes, Luke's mind was visited by memory after memory, brief flashes of sometimes clear but often incoherent images, many of which Vader did not understand or recognise. At first he thought of his friends' faces, and Vader felt a sharp stab of pain run through the boy. The images were then replaced by distant, hazy memories of Tatooine, accompanied by great joy.

Vader was uncomfortable. He had not felt this emotion is such a long time that he found himself slightly disappointed once the moment had passed. Luke was now contemplating his situation, and confusion mixed with deep anger and hatred burned inside him barely contained, almost equivalent to Vader's own. But he knew his son still felt things like compassion and empathy, which was why he still had so much to learn.

"Good," Vader stated and felt Luke's mind withdraw suddenly; probably sensing his presence. "Now release them into the Force, give up all emotions attached to them and concentrate only on the moment. Nothing matters but your body; feel where it comes into contact with the ground, how your heartbeat sounds loudly and clearly throughout."

His son's head bowed slightly and Vader felt him calm, almost at peace now. He was still experiencing fleeting thoughts and images, but this was normal for a beginner so Vader decided not to interrupt him. All was silent except for the sound of his respirator, but it did not seem to bother Luke for now. Long minutes passed and Vader almost slipped into a meditative state too as he continued to watch Luke. The boy still had his eyes closed and was so deep in concentration that he probably did not sense Vader's gaze on him.

The boy looked so remarkably like him, he reflected. With the same strong jaw and square chin as well as Anakin's ice blue eyes, though his nose and lithe frame were all Padmé, it was a wonder Palpatine had not yet seen the connection. It was unlikely that he had, for Vader would know if he did. Yes, he felt confident Palpatine was not yet suspicious.

He noticed suddenly that Luke was still dwelling on thoughts of the mysterious presence he had felt earlier. Vader resisted the urge to give a low growl; whoever the Force-sensitive was, they would not live long under his watch. It could not be Solo at least, of that he was sure… An idiot smuggler of his calibre could never be in touch with the Force. And Princess Leia was too hot-headed. Besides, he had been in contact with the princess before and would definitely have felt something. Then perhaps it was another pilot, exactly like Luke had been before.

Vader briefly entertained the idea that perhaps Luke was not an only child, but it was impossible. Not to mention, Luke was already such a handful that he did want to consider what would happen if he were suddenly to be flanked with two of him. Furthermore, Palpatine would become extremely suspicious, and people would start thinking Vader was starting up some kind of babysitting program. No, one Luke was enough to deal with.

Realizing that his thoughts were straying into ridiculousness, Vader shook his head and resumed his overlooking of Luke's meditation. After a few moments he noticed Luke felt a little awkward. "What is wrong?" He asked, and Luke's face tensed visibly.

"Nothing. Am I…?" Luke replied quietly.

"You are doing quite well. I have nothing else to say for now, so you may continue." Vader told him sharply, and Luke gave a short nod. It took several minutes for him to slip back into his previous meditative state, but Vader forced himself to be patient.

Vader was trying not to intrude on Luke's thoughts as the minutes passed by in order to facilitate the boy's meditation, but it was hard not to when these suddenly concerned him. He felt a sharp pull through the Force within their bond when Luke's thoughts turned to him and he let them pass through, slightly curious as to what they were about.

Luke apparently thought he was failing in his attempts to meditate, and wondered if it would be easier in the hyperbaric chamber. Something about it drew him in, it seemed. Then Luke thought of something Vader had previously told him, about it being the only place he could breathe without his mask, and the boy wondered what Vader looked like without the helmet. A new image formed in his mind now and Vader recognized Anakin Skywalker. However, his former self was older than on the hologram he had shown Luke, complete with the facial scar, which prompted Vader to speak, at once disturbing Luke's train of thought.

"Stop." He said and Luke opened his eyes in a startled way. "What was that last thing you saw?"

He felt Luke hesitate, but he apparently knew it was no use to try and hide the truth. "It was you, in a holovid I saw –"

"What?" Vader barked, his anger rising quickly.

"You didn't let me finish! It was Artoo, he showed me some old holovids he had stored in his memory." Luke said quickly, but too calmly as though he did not realise the gravity of this. Vader stood up immediately and made for the door, but Luke followed him and gripped at his arm.

"Where are you going?" He asked in a slightly panicked tone of voice.

Vader shook off his son's hand from his arm and seethed; "To have a lengthy discussion with Artoo. He was not allowed to show you any of his memories."

"But… But… he was just trying to cheer me up! What's the big deal anyway if he has those holovids stored inside him? Even if somebody else saw them, it's not like they could ever connect them to you." His son paused, then added quietly; "Nobody who knew Anakin Skywalker would ever think you were once him."

"Exactly," Vader told him. "I do not care about other people; I did not want you to see those."

"Why not? Don't you care that I wonder what my parents were like? I'd never even heard my mother's voice until Artoo showed me those memories."

Vader was unsure what to say for once, but he was still angry. "It doesn't matter. Artoo disobeyed me."

"Artoo always disobeys." Luke said with a faint smile. "You can't trust his word for squat. But he's a good friend and he showed me those to make me happy. They weren't incriminating or anything; I already knew Anakin loved my mother. You told me so." Vader was surprised of Luke's separating use of his old name, as though he had finally accepted that the two were not the same person. However he did not feel comfortable talking about that particular subject right now.

He took a step back and tried his best to calm down as he returned to the spot in front of the hyperbaric chamber. Luke followed him but Vader noticed how the boy's gaze never left the great black pod, the harsh white of its interior reflected in his eyes.

"I suppose you think it would be easier to meditate in there?" Vader said slowly. "You might be right, as I understand it; those thoughts were very distracting for you."

Luke's eyes turned to face him, and they were wide. "I thought you said the pressurized oxygen would make me faint?"

"I shall set the air flow to minimal." Vader offered and at once Luke’s face brightened. He then stepped into his pod and looked back at Luke, who was suddenly confused.

"Is there enough room?" His son asked cautiously. Obviously he had not expected Vader to come inside too.

"Perhaps not for two people of my size, but considering your stature, it should not be a problem." Vader replied with some amusement as Luke scowled, but got inside anyway. "You didn't think I would consider leaving you in it alone did you?" Vader asked as he sat down in the seat and punched the button for the jaw-like dome to shut. "You would have suffocated. Now, I thought we were here to meditate. Sit down."

There was just enough room for Luke to sit a little to the side of Vader's feet. The boy hesitated, looking around, but finally settled back into his previous cross-legged position. Vader hit the switch to close the jaws of the pod around them, and was surprised when Luke immediately delved into a calmer state of mind. He seemed less prone to flickering through his many memories and flashes of emotions than earlier, too. Vader sighed contentedly and closed his own eyes behind the mask, wondering how it had come to this.

It seemed impossible that he had been mad at his son not too long ago, considering serious punishments of all kinds, when right now he had just let him inside his hyperbaric chamber, a place he considered extremely personal and one he had never let anybody else step into. What was more, he was not in the least troubled right now. He felt Luke serene and comfortable, and it was having a bizarre effect on his own mood. Vader glanced upwards at the mechanical arms the chamber was equipped with. His skin crawled with an itch he could not scratch beneath his helmet and he longed to remove it.

But Tatooine would freeze over before he let Luke see what had become of his father's physical form.

So instead he reached for a control panel and entered the command for the filter in his respirator to be changed. It was the most he could do with his son here anyway; his helmet could be removedf later when he was alone. He was not that desperate yet.

"What is that?" Luke suddenly asked, his voice reverberating strangely against the curved walls of the pod. He had cracked an eye open.

"I am changing the filter in my mask. Do not let it concern you – go back to your exercise."

"It's kinda hard to do with all the noise in here." Luke stated, but closed his eyes anyway. Vader grumbled. He just knew that was a lie; the sound of his respirator had never distracted Luke before.

"I am not going to take the mask off Luke." He finally said plainly, still watching the small, sitting form of his son.

Luke's eyes remained closed, but it was apparent that he was not concentrating anymore. "Why not? I'd faint from the oxygen levels anyway aren't I?" He said cheekily.

"That _would_ be an improvement." Vader observed and this time Luke's eyes shot open.

"Hey!" He whined, but he was laughing. Vader let his head fall back and relaxed his face, ready for some peace and quiet, thinking the conversation was over.

Apparently not; Luke was sitting upon his knees now as to better look up at him. "You know everything about me. There isn't anything I wouldn't tell you, 'cause I've got no choice… But I hardly know anything about you. Do you think I can't handle it or something?"

Vader growled a little louder and lowered his mask a little to glare right back at his son. Luke could be very childish at times. "This conversation is utterly un-Sith-like."

"Maybe. But it's family-like." Luke said quietly, his gaze never faltering from the deep black sockets of the mask. His eyes were very serious and Vader was forced to look away, feeling exasperated.

"You have not proven yourself trustworthy these past few days Luke." He settled on saying.

As expected, Luke took offense to that. "So what? I wouldn't go around telling people, you know that's true! Besides, it's not like people ask me about that kind of thing anyway. They stay the hell away from me once they find out who I am, not come up and ask me what your face looks like."

Luke stopped talking at that, and Vader sensed that he feared he might have crossed the line and was now about to receive a lecture. As reluctant as he was, Vader had to admit Luke's arguments weren't entirely irrational. Still, he was the one occupying the position of power here and if he didn't want to take off his helmet, Luke had no say in the matter. He _should_ have no say in the matter, but something… something wholly undesirable was building inside him and suddenly he actually felt like he might give in.

And so what if he did? Would it be the end of the universe? Vader still associated much anger and betrayal to his new face, and felt pain each and every time he saw himself unmasked – which was not often, thanks to precautions such as the perfectly matte interior of the hyperbaric chamber – but he was not ashamed. Sith Lords shouldn't care about their appearance. No, the only reason Vader wore this insufferable mask was because he would die otherwise. If Palpatine could show his face in public, Vader would too, again, if it were only possible for him to do so.

So Vader hesitated no more, but rather let out a gritty, deep and dragging sigh.

"This is only because I am incapable of tolerating this mask any longer now. We shall meditate some more, and then return to the bridge." He stated slowly and tried to ignore the smile that was spreading across Luke's face. He then reached over to a hidden compartment and tossed a gas mask over to his son. "It is a spare I keep in case of an emergency." Vader explained, trying again to ignore Luke's renewed expression of joy, and idly wondering if it had started to snow on Tatooine yet.

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Once his gas mask was in place along with a stable flow of oxygen, Luke sat up straighter and watched Vader. His father lay back in his seat and turned a dial. Luke felt a slight popping in his ears as a hissing sound indicated that the pressurized airflow had begun.

Vader's steady grating breaths were a little quicker than usual when a mechanism reached down and clamped around the base of the helmet, but Luke's breath was hitched. He was on edge, aware that he was staring, and somewhat impatient. He could feel his father was rather untroubled, but he sure was not. How many people had seen Vader's actual face? His father would no longer be such a mystery to him, he reflected.

But he was also a little worried about what he might see, which he supposed was normal. He didn't know what had happened to his father that made him unable to function normally, but his appearance might be some clue. All he did know was that it must have been painful. And he needed to understand too, if he was ever to save Vader.

The mechanical arm was now in the process of lifting the helmet off, and the whole upper part of it detached itself from what was the actual mask. Dozens of wires and patches ran across the top of the surface that was now revealed, and without the bulky helmet piece, Vader's head looked strangely small. Luke held his breath again as another robotic appendix lowered to remove the mask. There was a metallic unfastening sound, and the mask was peeled off very slowly.

Luke immediately sought out the eyes, sure that they would be the same blue as Anakin Skywalker's, but was shocked to find that they in fact more closely resembled… the Emperor's. They were eerily yellow, but less ochre than Palpatine's, rather bright in fact. He blinked a few times before shying away from the intense fiery gaze, looking instead at the rest of his father's face. It was both better and worse than what he'd expected. For one, he was relieved that the face was not covered in hideous scars as he had feared… But he also had not been prepared to see such pasty, ashen skin. A large gash ran down the right side of his forehead right up to where an eyebrow should be, looking as though it must have been very bloody when it had been raw.

There were no eyebrows or hair of any kind from what he could see, and apart from the nose, lips and jaw, Vader was entirely unrecognizable from the young Jedi that had been Anakin. Luke recalled the memories he had intercepted from Vader, of him strangling his mother on a volcanic planet. He remembered the dream he had shared with Vader just the other night – of excruciating pain and acidic fury, the heat from the fire unbearable. Was that… what had happened?

"Were you burnt?" He asked softly, his voice muffled by the breathing mask.

"Obi-Wan." Vader replied simply, and Luke bit his lip. He didn't know what to say. If he knew Obi-Wan, the old Jedi must have had a reason, probably trying to 'save him from the dark side' as he'd surely put it. Doing it 'for his own good', exactly as he had lied to Luke about his heritage. On another note, Vader's voice was no longer deformed by the mask and Luke was comforted by the fact that it was at least similar to the voice he had heard in Artoo's holovids. Perhaps it was a more mature and a little deeper. But it was still the voice he associated with _father_.

His gaze crept back up to meet his father's eyes again and it took all his willpower not to look away again. He was not disgusted by Vader's appearance, but rather felt sorry. He also felt he could probably relate more to his father's anger issues now that he knew what he had to endure every day.

Luke was suddenly reminded of another memory; this time it was one of his own dreams. In that particular nightmare, he had seen an older version of himself, and he'd had yellow eyes like the Emperor and Vader…

"How did your eyes change colour?" He asked then, still in that small quiet voice. He was strangely humbled by the intimate nature of the moment, and hoped Vader knew it.

"When I became a Sith," Vader replied. "Sith's eyes always become yellow, orange or red."

"Always?" Luke repeated, afraid. He was now wondering how he would ever convince his father and the Emperor he was becoming a Sith if his eyes never changed colour. It was not that big a deal he supposed, but he simply couldn't visualise it.

"Always," his father confirmed. "The dark side causes physical changes. They may not be so apparent such as the Emperor's, but the eyes always change colour."

Luke nodded slowly, still looking over his father's face. After a long moment of silence, the first real silence between them devoid of the respirator's grating sound, Vader spoke again. "Meditate, Luke. I will stop you when it is time to leave." Without further ado, those fiery yellow eyes closed. Luke also closed his eyes then and let the Force have his thoughts and feelings. His father's presence was still there across their bond when he reached out, but it felt somehow lighter.

For the first time since he had been captured on Bespin, Luke truly felt like there was a possibility of redemption for Vader.

He smiled softly, and concentrated on his meditation.

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	22. Chapter 22

"Come in," called out a voice when Luke knocked on the door.

Harv looked up in surprise as Luke entered, and moved away from his desk to greet him. "Hello Luke. You didn't get in too much trouble did you?"

Luke was about to laugh it off and respond with the negative, but he remembered what Vader had said about him being supposed to act afraid. So instead he merely shrugged and got to the real point of his visit. "Not really. But sit down Harv, I've got something important to talk about."

"Medical?" Harv asked as he took his seat again and gestured for Luke to occupy the one facing the desk. When Luke shook his head the medic sighed. "I should have figured. Okay then, what's troubling you?"

"Nothing exactly," Luke replied, still trying to figure out how to bring about the subject. "Is this room safe?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is there any way anyone else is going to listen to this conversation?"

Harv stared at him for a moment. "No. There is no surveillance in the medic's quarters, for patient's privacy reasons."

"Good," Luke said, relieved. "I'll get right to it then. Do you recall saying that you owed me one?"

At this, Harv shook his head and chuckled. "I knew it. Alright what do you want from me?"

"Nothing, I just want to have a talk. Now listen closely. Do you remember the first time we met, in that cell? When I asked you what your name was?" Slowly, Harv nodded this time. He looked completely serious now. "Okay, do you also remember what I told you right afterwards?"

Harv frowned, but his answer came out easily; "Of course. You told me your name was Luke Sky –" As he started to say it, Luke made a hushing sound but Harv still finished the word; "– walker. What's wrong?" His eyes were wide now.

"This is very important Harv! Did you tell my name to _anybody_? Anybody at all? Did you write it down? Anything?" Luke hoped his tone of voice made it clear how essential it was that Harv be truthful about this.

Harv shook his head firmly. "I didn't. Lord Vader has always presented you only as Luke. And… I don't know if you recall, but on Coruscant, that time you, um, got me fired… Well you nearly said your name and Lord Vader stopped you. I'm not stupid Luke." The medic offered him a smile, but Luke didn't return it.

"Okay well at least nobody else knows." Luke passed a nervous hand through his still damp hair – he'd just had a shower after the meditation session with his father. "Listen, you must never tell anybody, and more importantly Vader must never find out that you know my name. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Harv said slowly. "May I ask why?"

Luke closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. His father would surely say it was un-Sith-like to trust anybody, but Harv was the closest thing he had to a friend here. "Maybe one day Harv. For now I'll just tell you that you'll definitely be killed if he finds out, and that I'll be killed if you ever tell anyone. That's why I brought up the fact that you owe me one. And well, according to Vader's orders, I should kill you right now. But I won't, because I like you. Is that enough of an explanation?"

"I suppose…" Harv answered, looking if anything even more curious.

"For all intents and purposes, I don't even have a last name. Alright?" Luke said firmly and waited for Harv to nod again before getting up.

"Wait – You're leaving?" Harv asked, looking puzzled and slightly hurt.

Luke stopped just in front of the door. "I'm sorry Harv but I really can't stay. Vader thinks I'm on the bridge right now."

Harv gave an understanding nod. "I hope everything goes well." He said as he watched Luke leave. Luke knew time was a factor as he rushed down the corridors to the bridge; Vader had let him go ahead, stating that he needed a few minutes alone, but he would be back any moment. And the medics' quarters weren't exactly on the way from Vader's room to the bridge…

But apparently Vader had really needed some alone time because when he arrived there was only Admiral Piett to greet him. Luke brushed past him, making it obvious that he wasn't in the mood to talk, and took the spot usually reserved for his father at the viewport. It took him several seconds of stunned silence to recognise where they were currently floating.

The system spread out in front of him was unmistakeable; Luke could never forget it. Yavin was forever imprinted in his memory as a place of great victory, and freedom.

Slowly, swallowing down his feelings, he turned to Admiral Piett. "Why are we near Yavin?"

"Ah, we have received orders to return to Coruscant as soon as possible but only Lord Vader can give the command to enter hyperspace, which is why we are simply steadily making our way through this sector." Piett informed him casually, striding towards him as he spoke.

Luke stared back at the admiral for a brief moment before asking; "Vader doesn't know about this?"

"Nobody has seen him since the attack and we have not been able to reach him in his quarters. Why, is this a problem?" Piett asked, frowning now.

"He's just not in a very good mood right now," Luke said slowly. Indeed, he could feel it through their bond. His father's anger was like a pulsating heartbeat at the moment. Luke wondered what could have happened. "And he told me himself that we were not to return to Coruscant. He let the Emperor know we weren’t coming back."

Piett looked slightly wary at the comment regarding Vader's mood, but didn't say anything about it. "The Emperor himself has transmitted this new summons, Luke. I am merely putting His Majesty's orders to effect."

"Okay I believe you, but don't expect Vader to be happy about it." Both Luke and Piett fell silent then, watching the distant Yavin system. Luke was deep in thought, concentrating on his connection with Vader. The anger was getting worse, making Luke wince. And what was more, he distinctly felt like it was getting closer. A moment later he was sure; Vader was finally making his way to the bridge, and he was in a most murderous mood.

Luke's eyes were wide when he turned his head to glance back at Piett. "Vader's coming right now. And he's very, _very_ angry about something. Maybe I should go see him myself before he gets here." He offered, certain that while he may be allowed to stand up to Vader while he was this angry, some other unfortunate people on the bridge may not.

To his dismay however, Piett disregarded his proposition. "This bridge has seen Lord Vader in many stages of bad mood. I assure you we are all up to the task of dealing with him."

Luke was about to retort that he very much doubted it had ever been this bad, when the sound of the door hissing open interrupted him. Vader had just walked in, and the anger rolling off of him was practically choking Luke. The Sith Lord stood in the doorway for a moment and then stalked all the way up to the viewport, stopping in his spot only once Luke had hastily gotten out of his way. Piett, remarkably, stood his ground. Luke suspected it was only because the true extent of Vader's anger was not palpable to those who were blind to the Force.

Foolishly – in Luke's opinion anyway – Piett addressed Vader with a calm tone of voice. "Orders from His Majesty have been transmitted. We are to return to Coruscant –"

"I am well aware of the Emperor's new orders." Vader interjected, sounding more weary than angry. In fact, to Luke, it sounded very much like he was trying to restrain himself. "I simply came to make sure you were commencing hyperspace preparations without need for my guidance, but I can see that is not the case." His tone was dangerous, and this time Piett knew it.

"Ah – we will commence at once, My Lord." He said hastily, and then made to scuttle away. However he was unable to do so because of the hand that suddenly gripped his shoulder. "Y – Yes, My Lord?" He stammered. It was clearly unusual for Vader to make physical contact of any kind with him.

"My patience is exceptionally thin today, Admiral. I am not to be disturbed for the remainder of the journey, is that clear?"

"Of course, My Lord." Piett answered dutifully, though his face was as white as a stormtrooper helmet. His voice was slightly cracked, leading Luke to believe that his shoulder was not all Vader had grasped at that moment. Indeed, once he was released his hand immediately went to his neck and he continued to massage it as he walked away.

Vader then turned his masked gaze to his son and snapped, "Come with me Luke." Noticing that many workers on the bridge were staring, Luke tried his best to put on a look of intense reluctance as he followed his father off the bridge. Secretly though, he was a little worried. He'd never felt his father this angry before. This time, he noticed he was being led to his own assigned quarters.

Artoo and Threepio were there when they entered, but Vader moved to shut them both off before the protocol droid even had time to greet them. Yeah, Luke was definitely nervous now.

"So, father… what's happening?" He asked, attempting to be casual. However it may not have been the best of ideas since he then felt Vader's anger level crawl up several notches.

"Have you not already guessed?" Vader retorted, crossing his arms.

Luke stared, all the while racking his brains to try and figure out what he could _possibly_ have done now. That sentence was becoming something of a mantra in his daily routine, he noticed. "But… but I haven't done anything! Whatever it was, I didn't do it!"

"Do I sense a guilty conscience?"

"No, it's just that you always blame everything on me."

"Perhaps if you weren't so mutinous, I would have nothing to blame you for in the first place," Vader growled. "But in all seriousness, you have done nothing this time. It is our impending return to Coruscant that worries me so."

Luke blinked. "Wait… So you're just angry that we're returning to Coruscant? Way to overreact!"

"No Luke," Vader said loudly. "The Emperor has suddenly changed his mind and demanded we remain there for the next few months at the very least and I can give you several good reasons why this displeases me. For one, the rebellion will get stronger if we don't act right now. Furthermore, the longer we stay on Imperial Centre, the closer the Emperor will be. We risk him figuring out our deceit. Not to mention that, while on Coruscant, we will surely have to attend all sorts of balls and suppers, the likes of which we attended on our final night there last time."

In all honesty, Luke was not sure what sounded worse; being discovered by the Emperor, or months of attending boring balls and banquets. Desperately, he tried to find a way out. "But didn't you say we're tracking the _Falcon_? Can't you tell the Emperor we're on its trail and we can't come back?"

"As previously stated, the Emperor has changed his mind about that. When I called him again after our meditation, he told me to he thought I would be more useful to him on Coruscant for the time being. The situation at Hoth, as well as the deaths of Mon Mothma and Ackbar, have convinced him the rebels will prefer to lay low for some time. Believe me, if there was a way to escape this, I would already have found it. But the Emperor is not as patient as I am and we must do as he says for now." Vader looked a little calmer now, but Luke still did not dare point out that Vader wasn't a patient man at all.

So instead he nodded in resignation. As soon as Vader left the room, apparently not even bothering to remind him to stay out of trouble this time, Luke let himself fall back on the bed with a huge sigh. He decided to take a much needed nap before turning Artoo and Threepio back on. It would be easy to stay out of trouble this time if he didn't leave his room, he realised. If they were still near Yavin – Luke had not yet felt the familiar lurch that meant they had entered hyperspace – it would take about a full standard day to reach Coruscant. More than enough time to sulk in his room and avoid speaking to anybody until he absolutely needed to.

Suddenly he understood Vader's anger; the last thing he felt like doing was facing the Emperor again. And Coruscant was his definition of a nightmare. He'd committed his first murder there, and had his first vision of himself as a Sith there…

And if he wasn't careful, he'd most likely die there, too. Kicking off his boots, Luke closed his eyes tight, curled up under the bedcovers and sighed into the pillow. Not for the first time, he wondered why the Force was being so unfair to him

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There was a knock at Leia's door, and just as she opened her eyes, Han Solo walked in.

"Sorry to wake ya, but it's important. We've received a transmission from Rieekan, and apparently his team has found something… Anyway, they need you at the bridge." Han said softly, sitting down next to her so the bed dipped considerably. She sat up, rubbing at her eyes and attempting to replace her mussed up hairdo into something more dignified. Her brain felt fuzzy, like she wasn't completely awake yet, and she reached into a nearby supply box for a bottle of water. It was warm, but she immediately felt better nonetheless.

That was when she remembered the conversation with Obi-Wan. She didn't know how long she'd been sleeping, but it already seemed like forever ago. "What time is it?" She asked quietly.

Han rubbed at his temples. "Oh-three-hundred. I told them to let you sleep, but apparently I don't have a good notion of priorities nor the rank to make such _critical decisions_. Well, come on Princess, let you be the judge of what's important or not." He stood back up and offered his hand, which she gladly took. In the corridor they had to sidestep an annoyed looking Chewie, who was arguing with Lando about something, and Han held her hand all the way to the command centre.

Nammo and Madine were standing over a computer terminal looking as wearing as Leia felt, but they looked up at her when she entered and Crix at least tried to smile. "Leia, glad you could make it. Are you feeling well?"

She hesitated, as she was not entirely sure what she was feeling right now, but nodded for the sake of practicality. "Yes, thank you. What news from General Rieekan?"

"Good news actually," a disembodied voice answered, and she turned her gaze to look at the holographic image of Carlist Rieekan himself, probably standing at the bridge of his own Corellian corvette at the very moment. "We have discovered a little known planet in the Bon'nyuw-Luq sector of the Outer Rim which may just be the safe zone we've been looking for. It is devoid of intelligent life forms and has a temperate climate. It is not so far from Naboo, though still considered an Outer Rim World, and has not been subject to any Imperial attention whatsoever thus far. I'm sending you the coordinates and information as we speak."

Leia glanced down at the screens and saw the planet's information. Arbra was indeed a rather abandoned planet on the outskirts of the galaxy, far from any known Imperial bases. But it was very far away from their position, if the scopes Leia was currently reading were true; they were currently trailing rimward, steadily making their way close to Hutt space. "And you have sent scopes to confirm?" Leia asked, looking back to Rieekan suddenly.

He nodded, and even smiled. "Everything seems perfect, more than perfect in fact. We almost didn't believe it."

"Well we won't know for sure until we get there, will we?" Leia asked, straightening. "Prepare for hyperspace, and call off other scout teams. Everyone will regroup on Arbra." She looked over to some Mon Cal workers in front of the Nav computer. "What is the estimated journey time?"

"Thirty-two standard hours, if there are no complications." They answered quickly, and she nodded. Considering how far Arbra was, this was actually good news.

"And what of the Imperial fleet?" She then asked, noticing as she did so how Madine's face seemed to harden.

He shifted uneasily. "We have received intelligence from our spy on the _Judicator_ that Vader's entire fleet is returning to Coruscant pronto. The Imperials are, it seems, retreating from pursuit."

"Convenient," Leia said softly. "It's almost too convenient. Is that all?"

"We only know that they blasted into hyperspace not far from Yavin some time ago. And they couldn't have tracked any of our ships, or we would know by now." Madine assured her, all the while flipping through a stack of files. He handed one of them to her. "Here's the full report."

"Thank you," she replied vaguely, and quickly scanned through it. Indeed, nothing more of interest had been found. Their spy on the _Judicator_ , whoever they were, had proved useful however. They now knew they weren't going to be followed to Arbra. "If Arbra proves to be safe, we could even establish a base there, working on the assumption that Death Squadron has given up pursuit and has not traced us. Is there anything else?"

Madine and Nammo exchanged a look, as did some other officers. Worried, Leia shot Crix a meaningful look, and he started; "In fact, there is. We have news... Mon was executed by Vader. Yesterday."

Leia felt as though her blood had frozen in her veins. Of course everybody had suspected that would be the case, but they hadn't had any proof and as much as Leia felt honoured to be in charge of the Alliance, she had really hoped that Mon was still alive, had even entertained thoughts of planning a rescue…

With a heavy sigh, Leia nodded. A minute of silence went by, in which everybody stared at their feet, probably all wondering what would happen to them now. They would establish a base on Arbra, but then what? Their numbers would never come even close to what the Empire had in stock. Vader's fleet may be returning to Coruscant, but that hardly meant anything. Less sharks in the water, but for how long? Last time Vader had retreated to Imperial Centre, it hadn’t lasted very long.

And with Mon and Ackbar gone – the two best strategic minds they'd had on their side so far – they had never been at such a disadvantage.

With a heavy heart Leia reflected upon all the suffering the Empire had inflicted on the galaxy. Her father… Bail Organa (she refused to think of Vader as anything more than a monster for now), and Mon had both fought and died for the belief that there could be freedom again, and Leia would be damned if she did any less than that.

"Mon once told me something that truly made me proud to be part of this rebellion," Leia began steadily, and everybody looked up. Then she quoted, "'This Alliance is a people's struggle: between the strong and the weak, the rich and the poor, the cruel and the gentle.'" She saw Madine smile again, knowing he too had been present when Mon had spoken those words. "We are the only ones who stand in the Empire’s way now. As long as we still stand, there is hope for the galaxy."

"Right," Crix said. "If we give up, who will stand up to the Empire? Maybe we will fail, but if so we will die proudly, knowing we stared back at evil with courage rather than cowardice, and defended our rights to the end."

Leia was pleased to see that everybody looked much more cheerful now. Even in all of his holographic form, General Rieekan was grinning. "Well said, Madine. My ship is ready to depart for Arbra. We will meet you there in three days at most when you arrive"

"Roger that… _Defiance_ out." Madine stated as he turned off the connection. Leia realized she was still smiling to herself as she turned back to look at Han, who was standing with his back to the wall close to the doorway. She walked over to him once she was certain everybody was returning to their work stations and he took her by the hand again, leading her out into the hallway.

"That was certainly an inspiring speech, Your Highnessness." He commented as they walked together down the empty hallway.

She turned to look at him and gave him a playful push in the arm. "That's not funny, you scoundrel."

"I think it's still a little funny," he said with a smirk.

"It stopped being funny about two years ago." Leia retorted, before stifling a yawn. There followed a comfortable silence and they simply continued to walk back to her quarters, and Leia wondered whether she should tell Han about her encounter with Obi-Wan. It was grating at her mind now that she had time to think about it, but she wasn't sure what the Corellian's reaction would be. He kept joking that she was becoming more like Luke now that he was gone, but the difference was that now she was starting to wonder if he was right.

Now that she knew Luke was her brother, how could she know for sure she would never become like him? The Force scared her a little, and not just the feeling it gave her, but even the idea of it. She wasn't sure if Han was joking around or exaggerating when he said he didn't believe in what he considered to be 'magic', but if he wasn't, would he still want to stay with her? What if she really did become a Jedi some day? What would Han think, then? And when had Han Solo’s opinion of her become so very important?

"Leia?" Han said suddenly, cutting across her thoughts quite sharply. She glanced around and saw that they were now standing in front of her door. "Are you okay?" He looked concerned, an expression that didn't suit him at all.

"Of course I am, just… under a lot of stress." She answered easily and he flashed her his trademark grin. That was more like it.

"I know how to cheer you up…" He said softly, all the while sliding his hands down to rest on her hips.

With a smile, Leia took his hands in hers and lifted them off. "You always know just what to say, flyboy." She entered the code to open the door and stepped inside, pulling Han in by the hands.

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Coruscant was just the way Luke remembered it; like a shining gem sitting pristinely upon the velvety black cushion of space, surrounded by masses of traffic and flanked by three Star Destroyers. But Luke was not moved by its supposed glory and splendour. He held no positive sentiment for the planet whatsoever, and didn't intend to act otherwise in front of anyone other than perhaps the Emperor.

The _Executor_ had finished its descent towards the atmosphere, stopping at regulation height with the other Destroyers surrounding it, and Luke was now on board a Lambda class shuttle sitting next to his father, on his way to Imperial City. The shuttle also contained several stormtroopers and a medical team led by Harv. Everything that had happened recently seemed to have distracted Vader from the situation with the medic, at least. Luke kept glancing at his friend, who smiled back easily, despite his proximity to Vader, whom he was always so nervous around.

Luke had no idea how Harv had ever become Vader's personal medic, but it must be quite a tale. He doubted very much it had been Harv's first career choice, much less an ambition of his, considering how afraid he was of the Sith Lord. There were so many things he didn't know about Harv, he realised. But questions would have to wait, as they had now landed in front of the Imperial Palace and the stormtroopers were already leaving the shuttle to join the legion that had been assembled for their arrival. He couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be less people to greet them than last time, a fact he immediately related to his father.

"Following my two-year absence from Coruscant, our return last time was anticipated. But if my sources are correct, the news channels are currently much more interested in the execution of Mon Mothma to care about us." Vader said shortly as they descended the ramp of the shuttle. "Now be silent and keep close to me."

Irately, Luke mused that he didn't really need reminding; he'd automatically slipped into the now comfortable space behind his father, rendered shy as always because of the large number of Imperials surrounding him. This time he stared into the sea of stormtroopers, wondering if Crank or any others from the sabbac game were presently lined up, looking out towards him in contempt, they too remembering the murder of Threes Luke had been forced to commit…

Something dark inside him snickered. Once again he was bringing up these awful thoughts and memories to the front of his mind voluntarily, as though he hadn't relived them enough already in his dreams. He shook his head and concentrated on keeping a straight posture as he followed Vader to the front steps of the palace. From now on, he reminded himself, he had to be very careful of each one of his actions, mindful of every word he spoke and thought he had, for if the Emperor suspected him even the slightest bit, they'd be in trouble. It was already nerve-racking, and they weren't even halfway up the many steps of the palace yet.

A small ways away down the enormous staircase, there was a statue of the Emperor himself, raised on a platform so he seemed to overlook the entire Imperial City district. That was probably the point, and Luke didn't like it. He wondered, not for the first time, why everyone in the galaxy – or at the very least, on Coruscant – seemed to be buying all of this. Was the Emperor truly that powerful?

He strayed away from these dangerous thoughts as they entered the palace itself, and Luke followed Vader to the huge doors that led to Palpatine's throne room. His hands felt clammy, so he kept rubbing them on the fabric of his trousers. He hadn't been this nervous back on the ship when asked to face the elderly Sith Lord by hologram, but this was too different. The Emperor would be able to feel his thoughts and emotions here, and that was what Luke feared most.

Vader did not slow for long at the door, merely waiting for the guards to open them before stepping into the darkness within. Luke had no choice but to follow. His shields clamped down, woven through the Force as tightly as he could manage, just as he passed the threshold, and he forced his breathing to stay normal. Just like last time there was a heavy, suffocating darkness inside this room, and the darkness was deep, almost unnatural.

Their steps echoed around them, in time with each one of Vader's slow grating intakes of breath. By the time they actually reached the raised dais at the back of the room, with its throne perched on top of it appearing almost small against the tall walls that surrounded it, his body felt a little calmer. He stopped just behind Vader and mimicked his low bow. Vader did not go as far as to kneel but Luke decided not to try his luck and did exactly as his father had taught him, until his nose practically rubbed against the cool tile floor.

Darkness pressed on him from all directions, and several long moments of silence passed until the Emperor spoke. "Rise, Lord Vader." Luke almost got up then too, but managed to stop himself just as he transferred his weight to his feet. The Emperor had not acknowledged his presence at all, so he most likely was not allowed to do anything but wait until he was granted that attention. "I am pleased to see how quickly you returned to me," the Emperor continued.

"I go wherever you need me to be Master." Vader replied easily, and Luke wondered if the Emperor also felt the slight undertones of resentment there. If he did, there was no mention of it.

"Good. You know your place. And so must your charge. Rise, young Luke," Palpatine croaked and Luke hastened to comply. He let all his fear run through him at this moment, even exaggerating it a little for Palpatine's benefit. Suddenly he was even afraid of Vader himself, who was standing in front of him, slightly to the side so that Luke may be visible to his master.

Palpatine's bloodless lips were stretched into a smile, the most insincere one Luke had ever seen. "You have already made much progress since last you stood here before me," the Emperor stated, and Luke simply stared right back at him. "Most impressive." Suddenly he turned to the other Sith, "Lord Vader, you may go to your residence. I wish for Luke to accompany me somewhere, and I shall see that he is returned to you afterwards."

Luke turned to his father with wide eyes, silently pleading, though he hoped Palpatine would interpret it as fear. However, Vader had no reaction at all. "As you wish Master. Luke, you will join me for a training session later on." He turned his masked face to Luke, who bowed his head in response, trying his best to make it look like he was dreading it.

"You are excused Lord Vader." The Emperor then said pointedly, and Luke watched as his father bowed one last time before leaving. Luke stood alone awkwardly at the foot of the ten steps leading to the massive throne, awaiting his fate. He had a terrible gut feeling that he wasn't going to see Vader again. Slowly, after several long moments of still silence, the Emperor rose from his seat and descended the platform towards him. "You need not be afraid, young Luke. Come, walk with me."

And Palpatine set off at a surprisingly steady pace, disregarding the cane that leant against the wall a few steps away. Luke followed him outside the room, though not through the main doors. Another set of doors, hidden at the side of the room where nobody would ever think to look, whispered open as they approached and they entered a whole new series of rooms, each as dimly lit as the last.

"These are my private quarters." The Emperor said needlessly, once they came to a halt in a rather grand dining room. A long, dark wooden table occupied most of the space, though Luke was prepared to bet that Palpatine ate alone here for the most part; he couldn't have that many dinner guests. There was also a large fireplace and, on the opposite wall, a painting of a beautiful lake and mountain view. Luke stared at it for a long time, marvelling at its presence in the private dining room of the evilest person in the galaxy. Next to the dull furniture and dark tapestries and decorations, it looked extraordinarily out of place.

The Emperor noticed where he was looking and, with another one of his most empty smiles, said; "Magnificent isn't it? It is of my homeworld, Naboo."

It took all of Luke's strength of will not to whip his head around at him in surprise. Naboo was his mother's homeworld, a peaceful, quaint planet he associated with endless fields of sweet flowers and great still lakes – it simply couldn't also be the birthplace of this… atrocious old man. Nevertheless, he nodded and said in a rather choked voice, "It is very beautiful, Majesty."

The Emperor grinned at him now. "Forget whatever Lord Vader told you, you may simply call me 'Master', or nothing at all. It will be much simpler. There is no need for all this formality between friends." Luke almost coughed at the mention of friends, but kept his thoughts on the present, lest the Emperor caught whiff of his feelings. Vader always said he broadcast his emotions too strongly…

"I see you are not carrying a lightsaber," Palpatine commented, looking him up and down.

"Va – Lord Vader said I must earn it." Luke said quietly.

"He is quite right," Palpatine agreed. "Lord Vader is neither patient nor forgiving, don't you agree?" He barely gave enough time for Luke to nod, before adding; "Incidentally, how are your injuries? Your bruises seem faded."

"I have a good medic." Luke said simply, thinking of Harv. To his surprise, the Emperor's grin stretched even further across his face.

"Indeed?" It was clearly rhetorical. After several seconds, Luke realized the problem; Vader was supposed to appear an abusive master, hardly the type to assign a medic to his apprentice.

Luke hesitated, but finally decided it might be useful to say; "He hasn't asked. I… don't think he cares." He said this sullenly, but dismissively.

"The medic in question will have to be careful then," Palpatine said conversationally. "Lord Vader has a habit of disposing of his less worthy employees, most particularly on board his flagship. But," he eyed Luke with an amused look now, "I believe you already know this. You are familiar with one Admiral Mulchive Wermis?"

Luke felt his face harden.

"I am not angry Luke. You did well. In fact, I am told it was most entertaining to watch you. You may find, as you spend the next few months here on Coruscant, that your reputation precedes you." Trying very hard not to wince, Luke recalled the allusions Harv had reported to him, that apparently he'd been _smiling_ when he killed the admiral. It still seemed impossible, in fact the idea repulsed him, but if the Emperor was now relating this as fact then it must be true.

"I merely obey Lord Vader's orders." Luke said after a few moments of silence. The Emperor regarded him for a long time, his yellowish eyes hardly ever blinking, and suddenly he invited Luke to sit at the table. Awkwardly, Luke took a seat at Palpatine's left. He himself was seated at the end of the table. After a moment in which it actually looked like he was waiting for Luke to be settled down comfortably, Palpatine pressed a button on a control panel. Almost immediately, two men entered, flanked with large plates of food.

"You must be hungry?" Palpatine asked, and Luke remembered the circulating rumour that Vader was starving him as well as beating him. And in fact, he was quite hungry. So he nodded as fervently as he dared and Palpatine gestured for one of the plates to be dropped in front of him. However, Luke patiently waited until the Emperor was also served, and for the old Sith to start eating, before he even touched his own fork.

Once again he didn't recognize most of the food but it was all delicious. And he was so hungry that he didn't think it would have mattered to him even if it had been junk. After a moment he realised that Palpatine could have put anything in the food, but when he looked up at he saw that the old man didn't seem to be watching him particularly closely. He once more wondered why he was so hungry all the time. He'd always been used to eating minimally, on the farm on Tatooine, and as a pilot – as a slave on Raxus, he forced himself to 'remember' – so perhaps it was the fact that he now had an endless supply of food.

His shields were still in place, but the Emperor must have caught an image of his thoughts regarding piloting, because he began to speak again. "Do you enjoy flying?"

Luke was taken aback, but decided to be honest. This was one thing he could never lie about. "Yes, very much."

"Perhaps you should share this with Lord Vader," the Emperor said softly. "I'm sure you know that he himself is a great pilot. Once again something you have in common."

"I…" Luke hesitated, and transmitted strongly through the Force his unease at the idea of sharing anything personal with Vader. To his pleasure, Palpatine gave a tiny, self-absorbed smile. This was what the elderly Sith Master wanted to hear and feel coming from him. He wanted to know that the relationship between his apprentice and Luke was nothing more than what it appeared to be. He wanted to be sure that Luke would turn on Vader if given the chance.

"You have not touched your wine." The Emperor suddenly stated, changing the subject. Both their plates were rather clean now, and Palpatine had downed his own flask of red liquid.

"I don't like wine," Luke said quickly, and felt a growing annoyance in the Force. After a few moments he realised that was the wrong thing to say, and that Palpatine was unimpressed by Luke's apparent lack of gratitude. This time he didn't hesitate; he grabbed the glass and took a sip, all the while keeping his eyes on the Sith, who gave a small smile.

It stung his throat and the acidic fruity taste irritated him, but it was a small price to pay for Palpatine's favour. Once the glass was half empty he put it back on the table, unable to drink any more, but the Sith seemed satisfied. He rose from the table and invited Luke to do the same.

"I have much enjoyed your company, young Luke. We shall see each other again quite soon I am sure, but I have much to attend to today. In the meantime I suppose you should return to your master. He grows impatient." As he spoke, Luke concentrated on the bond with his father. It was strangely faint, but still discernible, like an old scar. Indeed, Vader seemed frustrated at the moment, and there was no doubt why. It appeared Palpatine's interest with Luke annoyed and frightened him just as much as it did Luke himself.

Palpatine then ordered a guard to accompany Luke downstairs, where he was to board a ship to Vader's 'residence'. Luke hadn't the faintest idea what his father's residence could be like, but he nodded all the same and gave one last deep bow to the Emperor before leaving.

It was only once he reached the lower levels, where a small ship, complete with his own personal pilot, was waiting for him that he realised how nervous he'd actually been feeling. It was starting to wear off now, but he was still shaky and sweaty all over, already dreading his next encounter with the Sith Emperor.

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	23. Chapter 23

Standing in his usual spot at the largest and highest viewport of the whole palace, Emperor Palpatine had the best view on Imperial City. It was always highly beneficial to his musings, and at this moment it was his favourite time of day, when Coruscant's sun began to descend, letting shadows creep steadily about the buildings, which were bathed in the red light reflected on their shiny walls. Everything he saw from up here was his and it was most satisfying to see it all spread out below him, and all the beings of the galaxy in their rightful place.

But tonight, Palpatine was not as smug as he usually was as he surveyed his city.

He had to admit he hadn't thought much of Vader's new pet when he'd fist lain eyes on him. Vader was becoming too submissive if he was suddenly laying his apprentice in front of his master on a platter, with no visible disquiet. He was usually much more secretive when it came to his dealings with his subordinates. But this… _Luke_ was obviously no mere Force-sensitive boy, leading Palpatine to wonder about the his origins. However, every time he tried to read the boy, he only saw the irrefutable truth; the boy was as humble as Vader had been in his youth. A slave, brought up in the harshest conditions of Raxus.

He and Vader were more alike than they realized, it seemed. Underneath that frightened, unsure exterior, Luke had spirit. He yearned to prove himself, and already accepted the dark side. But it was strange; as genuine as the boy appeared to be, something about him still didn't feel right. No doubt would it take more than one meeting with him to figure out what was grating at Palpatine's nerves.

However what rendered him most perplex was Vader's attitude towards the blond boy. Of course Vader had a history of mistreating, even torturing, his past apprentices, but it seemed somehow different with Luke. Indeed, the boy did not appear to be as afraid of Vader as the others before him. There certainly was a healthy amount of fear there, considering the harsh training sessions and the apparent starvation he was putting the boy through, but Luke was strangely resilient.

He was younger than Galen Marek had been, but much more guarded. His mental construction was impeccable for somebody who had spent most of his life up to date as a slave. But if the palace rumours were to be believed, the boy was damaged in a far different way. As an orphan with no real moral sense, it seemed he was perfectly ready to murder at his master's command, and felt no regret afterwards.

It had taken Palpatine years to shape up Lord Vader into what he was today, a mostly emotionless killing machine, yet Vader had managed to accidentally find a boy who was nearly just that; an sensitively detached young man with an already promising grip on the dark side of the Force.

And so a much more worrying question occupied Palpatine's mind. Why was Vader mistreating the boy? Luke was obviously the worthiest apprentice he had ever had and so, if Vader had even an ounce of clairvoyance, he should be trying to warm up to the boy and win him over. Instead, he was treating him to his particularly large cold shoulder, and leaving Palpatine free to woo the boy to his heart's content.

Unless there was another plan in the works, one that Palpatine did not yet see… Perhaps Vader and the boy were closer than they appeared. Palpatine's paranoid mind reeled at the thought and he began to pace in front of the steadily darkening view of Imperial City. If that was the case, then Vader was definitely planning to attempt to overthrow him. Palpatine was in no way surprised – he even regaled at the idea that his full-fledged Sith was finally having thoughts of spreading his wings and taking his place. It meant he had succeeded in training his apprentice. Vader was indeed powerful. Perhaps not as powerful as he could have been, due to the accident on Mustafar, but still more powerful than even Palpatine had ever dreamed of becoming –

Palpatine cut his own thought off with a snarl.

He'd always known what Anakin Skywalker was, from the moment the small boy had been brought to him. At first he'd been merely curious, wondering how and _why_ this boy had such a powerful connection to the Force. Why did this _unworthy_ , little slave-boy possess power that was rightfully his? He'd considered killing him before he became a true problem, before the Jedi filled his mind with their foolish, feeble ways… But then it had dawned on him that this was nothing less than the will of the dark side itself. The Force had brought him the perfect apprentice.

And so had begun a long process that would someday succeed in ending the republic once and for all, allowing Palpatine free access to build his throne…

But then, Padmé Amidala had entered the scene and Palpatine had nearly lost his soon-to-become Sith Lord. Anakin Skywalker had proved himself malleable up to that point, but Palpatine still recoiled as he remembered the feeling of love he had felt through the young man. If Amidala had been a mere annoyance before, now she had become an unaffordable distraction.

And then, on one fateful night – Palpatine still remembered it quite clearly – he had felt it: something new. Amidala was pregnant and, there was no doubt about it, it was Anakin's doing. Palpatine had fretted for days about this newest development. Any child of Anakin Skywalker's would be powerful, but Amidala must not be allowed to survive. However there remained one problem; if his soon-to-be apprentice had a child, he would certainly still harbour those same feelings of love for it.

Surely he would. Which was why, quickly, Palpatine had come to the decision that risking losing his powerful apprentice would not be worth the potentially powerful offspring. He already had his Sith and it would not do to become greedy. Thus Palpatine's greatest lie yet still held; Vader believed himself responsible for his wife's death and, simultaneously, that of his unborn child.

That thought still brought comfort to Palpatine's mind, even to this day.

When Vader tried to turn against him, he would be ready. And that boy of his would know which Sith was his true master. Yes, Palpatine would meet with the boy again and gradually, young Luke would see where his true loyalties should lie.

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As soon as Luke climbed on board the speeder he sat back in the passenger seat, completely worn out. He had just closed his eyes and let out a sigh, when the pilot spoke.

"So, where to?"

Luke's eyes snapped open and he stared at the woman, who was vaguely familiar to him. The pilot was grinning at his puzzled expression. "Just yankin' your chain, I know where we're headed. You look kind of down, Black Four. What's up?"

Suddenly, Luke recognised her. It was Black Three. "Nat? What – what're you doing here?"

"Bringing you to Lord Vader's castle of course," Nat said as she fired up the engine. "Turns out I've been appointed your personal chauffeur during your stay on Coruscant."

"You don't say…" Luke mumbled, to cover the fact that he'd been about to wonder aloud about 'Vader's castle'. He didn't know his father had a castle! But Nat wasn't supposed to know that. "So you mean you lost your job?"

"No, no, just that Black Squadron won't be flying again until the 501st leaves Coruscant. I'm still a pilot though obviously." Nat told him happily, as she took off from the Imperial Palace and zigzagged into oncoming traffic. It was nightfall, so they had avoided the worst of it. Luke relaxed into the seat again and looked around. Last time he'd been here he hadn't seen much apart from the actual palace, so he eagerly stared around at all the neon colours and flashing lights winking at him from every direction.

He was dragged out of his reverie when Nat repeated her previous question that had gone unanswered. "So, what's up? You look pretty down."

"You just don't quit do you?" Luke asked in return, perhaps a little more harshly than he'd intended. However, Nat was unfazed, so he sighed and answered; "I guess I'm just wondering what I'm going to do now… I didn't feel like coming back to Coruscant. Why are you so interested anyway?"

Nat flashed him a brief grin as she dropped the ship a few lanes downwards to avoid a large speeder full of rowdy-looking Trandoshans. They were in the slightly lower levels, and the crowds were beginning to look less human by the minute now that they were further away from the palace. Strangely, Luke felt more at home here. The atmosphere was certainly less uptight, that alone was a relief. "You're funny Luke, do you know that? I mean, you're not what someone would expect an apprentice of Lord Vader's to be like."

Luke huffed, although he wasn't really insulted by the comment; it was pretty close to the mark. "I know. But if you expect to stay alive, you'd better understand that I am Vader's apprentice, through and through."

"Okay, okay, no need to be so touchy!" Nat said, though her face bore another large grin. "You know what," she then said, suddenly careening even further downwards into traffic, "I reckon I know how to make you feel better. Lord Vader isn't expecting you to return until later tonight – he told me so himself – so what say you and I go get a pick-me-up somewhere?"

That certainly sounded tempting, if Luke was honest. After the ordeal of the attack over Mon Calamari and the horrible fact that kept coming to the front of his mind – that Mon Mothma was dead because of him – Luke definitely felt like he could use a bit of old-fashioned hanging out. And Nat seemed like the type of person Luke usually liked to hang around with. That is, if you didn't count the fact that neither Han, nor Wedge, nor Wes, nor Hobbie, nor even Crank would ever want to speak to him again. And knowing his luck, Nat was likely to fall into that category soon anyway.

So, after much deliberation, Luke nodded. "That sounds great!"

"Hold on!" Nat said, before promptly pushing on the controls so that their speeder plunged downwards in a dangerously tight spiralling motion. It was a good thing Luke knew how good a pilot she was, because otherwise he'd have been screaming and holding on for dear life. However, he was otherwise occupied from laughing his head off at the thrill and the annoyed glances and trails of insults they were getting from other drivers.

And before he knew it, they were slowing down. He looked around as he ruffled his windswept hair back in place, awed. He could see the ground – the _actual ground_ – from here. Everything seemed to be lit in neon; advertisements in practically every language, flashing posters of all sorts of beings, and people walking around even sported glowing lights on some of their clothing. Luke glanced upwards, craning his neck, and immediately regretted it. The sight was dizzying; through the thousand-floor high buildings and mounds of traffic lanes, it was impossible to see anything even remotely resembling a sky. It was clear that sunlight never touched any part of this undercity. The only light around was the seedy, purplish-pink hue of the neon signs of the many cantinas and shops.

"What time is it?" Luke asked Nat, who was disembarking the speeder and making sure everything was locked.

"Half past twenty-hundred. I'd say we've got about an hour and a half to blow off before You-Know-Who starts getting suspicious." Nat was watching him pointedly, which only served to confuse him further.

"Why are you calling him You-Know-Who?"

"Because! Have a look around you! We'll be turned into skidcrust if anyone hears us saying that name. Dyeesh." Nat pocketed the keys to the speeder and gestured for Luke to follow. She'd left her little chauffeur's hat in the speeder, so her hair was plainly visible, and her clothing was casual enough that nobody would give them a second glance. In fact, she looked much younger without the military pilot suit she'd been wearing on the _Executor_. Which led Luke to ask a new question…

"How old do you have to be to get into these places?" He asked as he turned his head around to stare at a particularly sleazy-looking place called whose name Luke was unable to read, but which bore a sign emblazoned with what was clearly a half-naked Twi'lek dancing. You didn't need much imagination to know what went on in there.

"In the Coruscant Underworld, all you need to do is mind your own business and look tough. Nobody cares what age you are. Incidentally –"

"I'll be twenty-one next month." Luke answered her before he could even ask, and Nat grinned again.

"Like kriff you will!"

Luke scowled. "What do you think I look like, eighteen or something? I'm not _that_ short am I?"

"Fine, fine…" Nat said, holding up her hands. "I'm twenty-seven by the way." Luke nodded and started looking around at the many cantinas again. He was about to ask Nat if she actually knew where they were going, when the pilot stopped and clapped her hands together. "That's the place: _The Purple Lekku._ They've got the best Nerfburger around!"

Luke followed her inside but stated that he wasn't hungry. He didn't think Nat would believe him if he said he'd had dinner with the Emperor, not to mention that it might not be safe to divulge such information in their current location, so he merely said that he'd already eaten to answer the quizzical look on his new friend's face.

"Ah well, your loss! What would you like to drink; I'll go get it at the same time as my order." No sooner had they chosen a booth, Nat got back up again and looked in direction of the bar. Luke quickly glanced over the menu, trying to see if they had anything Corellian, but his eye fell on a name: Tihaar. Luke briefly remembered what had happened last time he'd had that particular drink, but he supposed one glass couldn't hurt.

"I'll have a Tihaar. And also some fries I suppose, 'cause they do look really good." Luke said, eyeing the menu some more.

Nat was silent for an unusually long time, so he looked back up at her. "Tihaar, eh? Been hanging around stormtroopers?"

"You could say that." Luke answered with a smile, and Nat left to get the orders. Luke watched her all the way to the bar where, immediately after having related their order to the Twi’lek behind the bar, she caught the attention of a curvy young woman with two blasters at her hip and started chatting her up. Luke smiled and looked away from the bar, to the many booths around him.

He didn't get to look around for long before someone came up to his table and stared at him without speaking for several seconds. Luke stared back at the silent man. The first thing he noticed was that the armour on his lower body looked familiar. Otherwise he was dressed in a simple white mechanic's t-shirt, which had more than a little grease smudged all over it. But then he looked at the man's face and froze.

His first thought was of Threes. But that was impossible. Threes was dead, definitely dead. And the more he looked, the more he realised this man was younger than Threes, and that his face was much more heavily scarred than the old clone trooper's had been. However, the differences stopped there. This man was certainly a clone, too. "Can I help you?" Luke decided on asking, since the clone didn't seem ready to talk any time soon.

Without invitation the man took a seat in Nat's spot directly in front of him. "Don't recognize me without my helmet, eh?" The man asked. He then glanced around, and added; "Your master know you're down here?"

That did it. At last, Luke recognised him. "Boba Fett?"

"The very same." He inclined his head in acknowledgement. "I don't usually hang around these parts, but this joint makes a mean Nerfburger, see –"

"– So I've heard –" Luke said with a tense smile.

"Hm. Fancy meeting you here, Mr Sith Apprentice…" Fett was studying his face carefully. "So listen, I've been doing business with your master for years, and we've never let each other down before this whole _Millennium Falcon_ affair. And seeing as you were involved, I feel like you owe me a Corellian smuggler, understand?"

Luke thought he saw where this was headed, but he remained silent just in case.

Fett was untroubled by Luke's lack of response. "I propose a deal," he said, leaning forward, "I might be willing to let this whole thing go, if you persuade Vader to compensate me further than he has already done. Are you familiar with Jabba the Hutt?" He paused just long enough so Luke could nod. "Well, he's after my skin for losing Solo and it's rather bad for business."

"What makes you think I'll be able to convince my master to give you anything?" Luke retorted, trying to sound braver than he felt.

Fett grinned. "That's where it gets interesting. How can I phrase this? Does _your master_ know that you're actually Luke Skywalker, son of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker? Because he might be very interested to know that, in my opinion." Luke felt his blood freeze in his veins, and Fett leant back in his seat. "Thought so," the bounty hunter said smugly.

After hesitating several moments, Luke came to a decision. Whatever happened, he could not let Fett leave before having received some form of compensation, large enough to get him to forget what he knew. "Would you be willing to come back with me to Vader's place? I'm sure we'll be able to convince him together."

Regrettably, Fett was not on board. "No can do, Kid. I'm not risking showing my face – or more precisely, my neck – in front of him just yet. But don't worry; he knows how to contact me. It shouldn't be a problem." The bounty hunter made to get up and, feeling slightly panicky, Luke stared over to the bar where Nat was still talking to the woman, absent-mindedly eating a burger, having apparently completely forgotten about him. There was only one thing to do.

He stood up quickly too and held out his hand, lightly gripping Fett's throat with the Force. The clone's hand flew to his blaster but Luke was quicker. He summoned the weapon to his hand and shot Fett a smirk. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Now, I could simply kill you right here right now, but I won't. Instead, I'm going to bring you to my master and he'll decide what's to be done with you. How's _that_ sound?"

If looks could kill, Fett would have sent him down into the ninth Corellian hell by now but unfortunately for the bounty hunter, Luke had the upper hand here.

"Oy, Nat! C'mon, let's get out of here!" He shouted across the cantina to the pilot. She turned and stared between him and Fett, who had his hands pointedly raised in the universal symbol of 'I surrender'. If only Han could see him now, Luke thought, allowing himself a smile. Nat came running over a moment later, leaving the other woman at the bar and looking thoroughly annoyed.

"Couldn't you have waited a few more minutes, Kid? I was about to get her number…"

"Just help me get this one tied up. Do you have some rope or something?" Luke snapped, still feeling the rush of the dark side inside him and in no mood for any shenanigans. With a scowl, Nat shook her head.

"No of course I don't have any rope, what do I look like, a kidnapper? Can't you hold him like this until we reach the ship?"

"I suppose," Luke grumbled, before turning his head back to glare at the bounty hunter. "One wrong move, Fett, and I’ll snap your neck in half."

Fett responded with a glare of his own and a moment later he twisted his body around nimbly, taking several steps back. Luke didn't need Nat's shout of 'Watch out!' to know he had to get out of the way fast. The clone had just taken out a thermal detonator and was holding it at arm's length. "You use that Force on me again, and I'll throw this at you." He warned, his face completely serious now. "I have no patience for Force users." He added with another glare.

Cursing the fact that he didn't have a lightsaber on him, Luke took a step backwards and tried to calm down. More importantly, he hoped Fett got the message; he didn't want to cause any trouble in here. People in the surrounding booths and at nearby tables fell silent and, when they saw the bomb Fett was holding, rushed to evacuate the cantina. Very soon, there was nobody left in the place but them.

"You wouldn't," Luke shot at Fett. "You'll die too."

"Try me." Was Fett's answer, and Luke knew he wasn't joking. Then, the bounty hunter began to slowly walk towards the exit. Luke was concentrated on him, his mind working a mile a minute straining to figure out what he should do, so he did not immediately notice somebody moving behind him.

It was too late when Nat shouted 'Look out!' again, for he felt someone grab him from behind, effectively pinning both his arms in his back. Simultaneously, a blaster was poked harshly into the side of his head and Fett snarled; "No! We need him alive!" The blaster was removed, and Luke spun around to face his adversary. It was the brunette from the bar that Nat had been speaking to. Her eyes widened at his sudden move and she wasn't fast enough to stop him from freeing his hands. As soon as he was out of her grip he summoned the Force and strangled her.

It wasn't slow like all the other times he had done it. This time he was in a hurry, and he hadn't really thought it through beforehand. The woman went down quickly, gasping for air as she crumbled and finally went still as she lay on the floor with wide, glassy eyes.

Both Fett and Nat were staring at him, but each with very different reactions. Nat was stunned, but the bounty hunter looked angry. "Any others like her I should know about?" Luke asked calmly as he turned back to look at Fett.

The bounty hunter sneered at him then, tearing his eyes away from the woman's body. "Did you really think I'd come here to face you without backup? But she was a meaningless lackey, disposable; I have plenty more where she came from."

Luke smiled. "And I have plenty more tricks," he said as he stretched out a hand again. This time he didn't use it directly against Fett, but merely called over the thermal detonator from the man's hand. It flew towards him effortlessly and he caught it, immediately deactivating it. He then proceeded to take it apart completely using the Force until it fell to the ground in pieces. Fett stammered for a moment, before pulling out a new tool.

There was no time to see what it was as he threw it to the ground at once. A cloud of smoke erupted from the small object and Luke planted a hand over his mouth and nose. He closed his eyes too for a second, feeling around in the Force. He whirled around to look at Nat, but the pilot was busy coughing. With a groan, Luke rushed towards the exit and outside the cantina. Despite the fact that the streets were packed with people, it only took him a few seconds to locate Fett.

The bounty hunter was running towards a tiny little speeder, but he never reached it. Luke ran at full speed, even surprising himself at how fast his legs carried him – he suspected the Force came to his aid – and jumped on top of Fett. He restored his hold around the clone's neck, and sat atop him as he searched his pockets for any other weapons. However it seemed the bounty hunter was all out of tricks.

"Here's the deal," Luke growled into the man's ear. "Get up real slow and do as I say, or you get the same treatment as your little 'lackey' did. I’m tired of playing around." He barely felt Fett nod, but he got off his back and stood in front of him, still holding onto his neck with his invisible power. The hunter got up with his hands in plain sight, wearing an even worse glare than before. It was clear that not many people had ever gotten the best of him like this. Then again, most of his enemies weren't trained in the Force.

There was a moment of tense silence before somebody came running up to them. It was Nat. The pilot was panting and her eyes looked slightly watery from coughing, but she was otherwise all right. She slowed as she reached them, staring with wide eyes between he and Fett. Wordlessly, Luke gestured towards the other side of the street, where their own speeder was waiting for them. Nat quickly nodded and they hurried towards the vehicle, with Luke dragging Fett along like a prisoner to his execution. As they climbed into the speeder – a tight fit for all three of them – Nat scowled and turned to face Luke.

"This means we're gonna have to tell Vader we were down here doesn't it?"

"Probably," Luke agreed, not looking forward to it either. He kept his eyes on Fett, who was silent but still scowling to himself.

"Kreth it, Vader's going to kill me…" Nat commented, wincing as she spoke the words.

"I'll tell him it was my idea. And also that you tried to stop me." Luke supplied distractedly.

"What are you, mad? He'll kill both of us. Literally."

"No he won't, don't be so dramatic," Luke said in a serious tone of voice, although he secretly thought Nat's premise was very likely. They hadn't been on Coruscant for more than a few hours, and already he was in a hell of a situation. He actually considered it lucky to have run into Boba Fett, but he doubted Vader would see his point of view. Hanging out in a seedy cantina in Coruscant's lowest levels and starting a fight with a renowned bounty hunter was probably behaviour his father categorised as ‘foolish’.

The journey upwards back to Imperial City was silent. Luke was concentrating on keeping his hold around the bounty hunter, who kept struggling every few seconds, and Nat needed maximum attentiveness in order to weave them in and out of the countless transportation lanes. Night had finally fallen, but the city was in no way dark. Lights and neon colours flashed at them from every direction, blurry from the speed at which they were travelling. Despite the looming prospect of yet another unwanted conversation with his father, Luke felt happy. This was what he loved; speeding through the sky at top speed with the wind in his face, leaving all thought behind on the ground where all his problems where. There were no problems when you were flying, just you and the sky.

He reflected upon the woman, Fett's 'lackey', and wondered why he had killed her. Certainly she had been dangerous, and she would probably have killed him if she'd had the chance, but he still felt remorseful. It also occurred to him that it was the first time he'd strangled anybody without his father pushing him into it. His eyes watered, not from tears, but from that same sickening feeling he'd had the time he'd been forced to murder the three rebel pilots. He felt like he would be sick again, even as the darkness snickered at him, taunting him, reminding him of how _good_ it had felt, how powerful he had felt…

"We're here." Nat announced, pulling Luke back into the present. He stared at the massive building they'd just slowed in front of. All traffic was being diverted around it as far away as possible so that it sat undisturbed like a great krayt dragon nobody dared to approach. Vader's castle was indeed worthy of the name. In form and in colour it inspired darkness and power. It wasn't huge and triangular like the palace, but it was no less majestic. However, there were no statues of its main inhabitant anywhere, unlike at the palace. Luke supposed Vader thought owning a statue of himself would be vain. As he'd told him before, such objects were irrelevant to his quest for power.

Nat landed their shuttle on a platform, and immediately two stormtroopers came up to meet them. "Security passes and identification please."

Just as Luke was about to snap at them that he didn't have any cards on him – and he had half a mind to do an Obi-Wan and try to mind trick the troopers – Nat pulled a rather impressive stack of cards out of her pocket. "Of course," she said hastily as she fumbled with them. "Here we are. These are mine, and these here are Luke's." As she spoke she handed Luke about five of the cards. One of them was indeed a security pass for this gate, another was a Coruscant ID card, and the three others were security passes for three different entrances of the Imperial Palace. "Lord Vader told me to give you those. I guess I forgot about them earlier."

Nodding, Luke showed the two required cards to one of the stormtroopers. Meanwhile, Fett started to struggle even more. Before any of the guards could ask, Luke supplied; "He's a prisoner I have to take to Lord Vader." He added the 'Lord' to his father's name so he wouldn't sound too casual.

However, the guards were not impressed. "We'll have him taken down to the detention level." One of them moved to take hold of the bounty hunter, but Luke stopped him.

"Stop! I'll do it. I'm keeping him restrained right now, but if you take him, who knows what he'll do –" As though to prove his argument, Fett actually tried to take back his blaster, which was now hanging at Luke's belt, and Luke tightened his hold on him. It was suddenly painful, as he wasn't used to doing it for long periods of time. It gave him an idea however and, hoping it would work instead of just blowing the bounty hunter's brain out, he closed his eyes, raised his hand and concentrated.

He heard the thud that hopefully meant he'd succeeded, and looked. Boba Fett was lying quite still on the ground and, when Luke bent down to check, was unconscious but stable. Whatever he'd done had worked and the bounty hunter was merely in a deep sleep.

"How did you do that?" One of the stormtroopers asked after a few moments of silence.

"He's Lord Vader's apprentice," Nat told him eagerly, and Luke smirked. Reluctantly, he let the stormtroopers take Fett from him and he followed Nat to the actual castle.

The hall was large and imposing, but everything was less extravagant than at the palace. This castle obviously suffered from the same condition as every other place that belonged to Vader: lack of furniture. It was empty and bleak, with no statues, no expensive-looking vases or sculptures, no paintings on the wall and definitely no unnecessary colours. The walls were a steel grey, resembling those of the _Executor_. While the Imperial Palace seemed somewhat lived in, Vader's castle was disturbingly clean, so much so that Luke was almost afraid to touch anything. It seemed… neglected, but at the same time carefully taken care of. Like nobody lived here, but there were still people tending to the place.

However there was a stuffy, heavy weight in the air that Luke recognized as grief and anger, tell-tale signs of the dark side. There could be no mistake; Vader lived here, made clear by the fact that he had imposed his mood on the whole place.

Suddenly he turned back to Nat who was still walking with him. "I don't think you want to be here when Vader finds me," he said casually.

"Hey, he's my boss too. I have to report that I brought you here and all went well."

"But all _didn't_ go well, that's the point." Luke said, barely managing to conceal his smirk. Before Nat could answer, Luke felt a larger, darker presence invade his own and seconds later a door slid open to their left, revealing the moody Sith Lord. Silence drew on the moment uncomfortably, until Luke sighed. "Hello."

Vader took a step into the hallway and the door swished shut behind him. "You are excused, Krimbar." Vader said shortly, and it took a few seconds for Luke to realize to whom he was speaking. Nat gave a salute and slowly walked away, after shooting Luke another smirk. Not for the first time tonight, Luke was left alone to stand awkwardly before one of two Sith Lords in the galaxy. Why did he of all people have the misfortune of knowing both of them personally?

"How did your conversation with the Emperor go?" His father suddenly asked once Nat had disappeared into a nearby lift. He started walking, so Luke hastily followed him.

"Oh," Luke began slowly, having almost forgotten about that because of the whole Boba Fett incident. "It went well I guess…"

"That is not a satisfactory answer." Vader said sharply.

"He didn't say anything very interesting." Luke said quickly.

"The Emperor never speaks without reason Luke," Vader told him harshly. "Now, I'm sure you can _think_ for a moment and tell me _what he said_."

Luke paused, racking his brains. "He asked me why you didn't let me have a lightsaber. I – I said you told me I should earn it. And he agreed with me. Um… Then we talked about Admiral Wermis, and he said he was pleased with me… And he also told me I should talk with you about my, uh, love for piloting since it's another thing we have in common."

"What did you say about this?"

"I… I didn't actually say anything, but I think he understood how uneasy the idea made me feel. And then we had supper. Nothing else happened."

He heard Vader sigh then, and they resumed walking through the empty corridor. "I am sure you can see what the Emperor is trying to do." He said, turning his mask slightly to regard Luke. After a few moments of thinking about it, Luke shook his head. "He's going to try and lure you into a false sense of security, attempting to turn you over to him, to appease you. By making me the tyrannical, cruel master, he is trying to make you think of him as your friend. He will do this gradually of course, but in the end, he wants you to feel that he is your rightful master so that you may eventually betray me for him."

"We've talked about this before," Luke said quickly. "You know I'll never do that."

"The Emperor will do all in his power to make you feel loyal to him. If you manage to withstand him, I will be most impressed."

"There's nothing to be impressed about!" Luke said angrily. "You're my father and I'll never betray you. The only reason I am still alive is because I’m your son – Otherwise I would have died on the _Death Star_." It was only after he had finished blurting this out that he realized how damaging to the situation it could be. Vader had stopped walking now and was silently looking down at him. A quiver passed through the Force, making Luke feel deeply uncomfortable.

"Son," Vader began slowly. "You must know there is nothing you can do to change me. It is your destiny to become a Sith and rule the galaxy at my side, and you will work at forgetting all the insignificant emotions you still have. They are a weakness you cannot afford. You are my apprentice –"

"But also your son!" Luke interjected hotly. "Admit it; would I be here right now with you if I wasn't? Would you even have bothered trying to turn me at all in the first place?"

There was a silence again, the longest yet, and finally Vader turned away to storm off. Luke stared helplessly after him, knowing it was no use trying to follow this time. His father had had enough of his foolish questions now, that much was clear. Luke mentally chided himself for being so open; Vader must not know what he was planning! Luke knew Anakin Skywalker was still inside there somewhere, but Vader would have none of it.

Briefly, he remembered Vader saying that he was to join him for a training session tonight, but somehow he doubted that was still on the table. He also remembered about Boba Fett, still a prisoner in the detention level somewhere downstairs, but he also doubted Vader would be in the mood for that right now.

Sullenly, Luke took to stalking around the castle alone since he had no idea where he was supposed to go.

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	24. Chapter 24

The air was cold. This was Leia's first thought as she woke, keeping her eyes closed and feeling slightly light-headed. Her shoulder was exposed, she realised, and she tugged on the heavy blanket to pull it back over the bottom half of her face. No doubt the Corellian smuggler sleeping beside her had been trying to steal all the covers for himself.

The minutes ticked by and she finally recognised that she wasn't going to fall back asleep anytime soon. As slowly and quietly as she could, she slipped off the bunk and got undressed, debated for a few seconds whether or not to shower, and finally decided to. It would probably wake Han, but it was time to get up anyway; no doubt would her help be appreciated on the bridge again soon. They still had at least twenty-four hours before they reached Arbra and there was a lot to do.

After the much-needed sonic shower, Leia stepped out of the 'fresher back into the bunkroom and saw that Han was gone. It was probably for the best, she reminded herself, as nobody really knew they were involved together yet and this wasn't exactly the best time, nor how she wanted people to find out.

She was folding up some clothes and preparing to go to the bridge, when she looked up for no particular reason and got the fright of her life. Obi-Wan Kenobi was standing in front of her, in all his ethereal glory. "Could you please _not_ do that?" Leia demanded, trying to calm her suddenly racing heart rate.

"Forgive me Leia, but it's important."

"It had better be." Leia said as she sat down on the bunk and folded her arms.

"I have spoken with Master Yoda, the Jedi who instructed me. He is still alive on Dagobah and has agreed to teach you."

"Obi-Wan," Leia groaned. "I'm very sorry, but we’ve been over this –"

"No, you must listen to me Leia. The Imperial fleet has retreated for now. Your Alliance will be safe on Arbra for the time being; Yoda has foreseen it. You must travel to him and become his apprentice." His tone of voice was very serious, and Leia bit her lip.

"I just know I'll be terrible at it."

"You could never be terrible," Obi-Wan said mildly. "Your father was a great Jedi. And besides, this is bigger than you. The entire fate of the galaxy depends on your decision."

"Well that takes the pressure away," Leia mumbled. "Are you sure the Alliance will be okay?"

Obi-Wan gave a slow nod. "Master Yoda is very gifted at seeing parts of the future. He has occasionally been wrong in the past of course… but for the near future, he is certain of this fact. And Dagobah is not so very far away from Arbra. You can return quickly to your base if you need to."

Leia took a deep breath, hardly believing what she was about to say. "Alright. I'll accept, but only if I'm satisfied with the base on Arbra. I won't leave the Alliance unless I'm certain they'll be all right."

"Fair enough," Obi-Wan said with a slight smile. "I shall leave you to your duties then, Princess."

He disappeared slowly and Leia sighed to herself. Part of her almost hoped something would force her to remain on Arbra. So many things could go wrong, and so much worried her already. For the first time in her life, she actually tried to feel the Force, but was met with a cold wall. It was strange though; it was not as if nothing was there, only as if it were unreachable to her. At least she knew there was something.

With another sigh she left her quarters in direction of the bridge. This day was already starting to tire her out, and she was barely fresh out of the shower.

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"Well? What do you think, Rogue Two?"

"I'm with you, Rogue Six. This place is great."

"We've found our safe haven, boys!"

Still on board the _Defiance_ , Leia smiled. Rogue Squadron, or rather what was left of it, was flying over Arbra to see if it looked safe.

Wedge Antilles' voice sounded through the comlink happily. "I'd say it's time to establish a base. All clear for landing."

"Roger that," Madine said into the comlink, before straightening to address the whole bridge. "Well, we could hardly hope to find a better place than this. With Rieekan's report and our own Rogues confirming, I think we can begin manoeuvres to go planetside."

Everyone on the bridge nodded in agreement, all looking much happier suddenly. The mood on the ship felt lighter, and Leia smiled again. They hadn't had any real reason to smile for a long time so they were all ready to enjoy it.

**.**

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It was late evening when Leia made her final decision. She didn't even need Obi-Wan to appear again, for she knew what he would say. Arbra was perfect, with its temperate climate, plenty of natural resources and a thick growth of trees that would give them perfect air cover. She had to admit it was exactly what they needed. Of course it would take more than one day to completely build the base, but the biggest part was over. They’d manage without her.

A small ways away from her, Wedge, Wes and Hobbie, the only surviving pilots of Luke's Rogue Squadron, were sitting around a table with Lando and Chewie, swapping what looked like a great deal of hilarious – and therefore probably immature – stories. She refrained from telling them off. They deserved time to unwind. The fact that she still felt sick from grief was best kept to herself.

Generals Rieekan and Madine were talking very seriously over some datapads on a nearby desk, pilots from other squads were busy moving some equipment around, techs were firing up connections between different comlinks and computers, and nobody was sparing Leia more than a glance.

She sighed to herself, wondering what to do. Well, she knew what she had to do, just not… how to go about doing it.

How could she break it to the two other leaders of the Alliance that she was leaving for undetermined period of time? She couldn't simply announce that she was going to become a Jedi, that much was for sure. First of all, Madine still held much disdain for Jedi, as he had proved countless times with his interactions with Luke. And Rieekan wasn't fond of foolhardy plans. To top it off, both men had known Bail Organa quite well and, even though they had never outwardly said so, Leia knew they both felt rather protective of her.

She'd always appreciated the sentiment, but right now she wished there was something she could say to make them understand how important this was. Of course they couldn't know where she was going or why, but they had to accept that it was important.

At long last, Leia got up from her seat and walked over to join the two generals. They seemed deep in conversation, but still acknowledged her with slight nods. She patiently waited for them to finish, barely even listening. It had something to do with assessments of the nearby jungle, finding out if there were any large animals that could be dangerous. Suddenly, Madine turned his gaze to her and smiled. "Did you have something to say, Leia?"

Swallowing down her apprehensiveness, Leia put on a serious look. "Yes I did in fact. I need to speak with both of you." Their faces faltered slightly, but they still looked interested. So she began, getting straight to the point. "I have to leave." Both men had very different reactions to this. While Rieekan simply looked sad, Madine's eyebrows shot up and he wrinkled his nose.

"Leave…?" Madine repeated, as though he couldn't accept that was what she had said.

"I'm so sorry. I can't afford to tell you where I'm going, nor when I'll return," Leia said softly. "But it has everything to do with the Alliance, I can promise you."

Rieekan started scratching at the stubble on his chin. "Why can't you tell us then?"

At this, Madine shot him an angry look. "Don't tell me you want to let her leave?"

"Leia knows what she'd doing, Crix. I trust her implicitly." Rieekan stated calmly. However it did nothing for Madine, whose face was reddening by the second.

"Leia, you can't seriously… We need you right now." Madine said, looking back at her now. This was hard for her to hear; she didn't want to abandon them, but it was necessary. Or so Obi-Wan believed anyway.

"I know it's hard to accept, but trust me. I have to go. I cannot tell you why, but I'm doing this for everybody."

Unexpectedly, Madine's face fell. He looked worried now. "Leia… You're not… going to go turn yourself in, are you?"

"What? Of course not!" Leia had to resist a sudden, morbid urge to laugh. "Please, you'll understand in due time, but for now… you must trust me." After a few moments, Madine gave a small nod and Rieekan put a hand on her shoulder. Leia leaned into the fatherly touch. "I'll have my comlink. You can contact me if there's any emergency, and I will return as swiftly as I can," she told them and they both nodded. "Again, I'm really sorry."

"You'll be missed." Rieekan told her, as she started to walk away.

"I'll be back." Leia replied with a smile.

In her quarters she made sure to pack as many things as she could, since she had no idea what the climate was like on Dagobah, or even what a Jedi Master's home would be like. And there was still the problem of transportation. She could ask Han to drop her off with the _Falcon_ , but he'd surely want to come with her, and then she wouldn't have a ship to come back to Arbra on. She could take an X-Wing, but there was a shortage right now and it wouldn't be fair to the pilots.

She'd taken another shower since they finally had running water in the base, to wash away all the sweat of the afternoon spent helping to set up the base, and her hair was now tied so as not to be in her way.

"Hey, Leia!" Wedge Antilles suddenly came running into her room.

"What is it, Wedge?"

The pilot looked sheepish as he spoke. "I just wanted to say bye of course. Can't you tell me where you're going? I promise I won't tell."

"Wait, what?" Leia asked. Only one thing had registered in her mind; "How do you know I'm leaving?"

"Come on, you know nothing stays secret for long in the Alliance. Everybody's talking about it!" Wedge told her with a grin, and she hurriedly finished packing her bag.

"Oh no…" She mumbled. "Thanks for stopping by Wedge. See you around." She said quickly as she sidestepped him, ignoring his perplexed expression, and ran out in direction of the main hangar.

Sure enough, there stood the _Millennium Falcon_. There was hardly anybody in the vicinity since it was so late. Leia had no way of knowing for sure whether Han was on board his ship, but it was the first place she imagined he'd go; so worth a try. And, as predicted, she found the Corellian in the crew quarters, slumped moodily over his bunk and staring into nothingness.

Leia slowed in the doorway and gripped the side of the wall to steady herself. She felt like she was intruding on something private – Han looked so defeated right now. He'd taken his shirt off and left it on the ground, and was wearing an expression that suggested perhaps Chewie had died. In fact, Leia was quite certain she had never seen him so crushed.

It took a moment for him to notice her it seemed, but finally he looked up in her direction. "Oh, hey Princess," he said, attempting a smile. Leia saw through it immediately. "I was just… gonna repair some stuff in here…" He then grabbed a nearby hydrospanner and held it up, as thought to prove his point.

"Han, listen… I was going to tell you –"

"Don't sweat it, Your Highnessness; you don't need to tell me anything. Just go do what you gotta do. I ain’t stoppin' you." Han said through his teeth, suddenly looking very interested in her feet. His eyes didn't seem to want to meet hers.

"Han! I had to tell Crix and Carlist first, they had a right to know. But my decision is made and I have to go."

"Then why can't you tell anybody where you're going, huh? Don't you think some people might be worried, or –" He stopped talking, apparently realizing what he was saying, and looked away. If her gut instinct was right, Leia though she could feel he was embarrassed.

"I can't tell _them_ because they wouldn't understand. But I am going to tell you." Leia decided right then that Han should be allowed to know. From the beginning there had never been any secrets between them, and she wasn't about to start now. She smiled when the smuggler looked up hopefully and she moved to sit next to him on the bunk. "But first, I have something really important to say. It's… pretty out there."

"Oh yeah? On a scale from 1 to Luke?" He asked, with an apparently half-hearted attempt at humour.

Leia smirked despite herself. "This is way past Luke, Han." The Corellian's eyebrows shot up at this, but she didn't give him time to comment before she jumped right into it. "You remember Obi-Wan Kenobi, don't you?"

Han nodded; "He came with us to save you on the Death Star. How could I forget that old –"

"He appeared to me recently. Through the Force." Leia interrupted and, for once in his life, Han looked speechless.

"What – what do you mean?"

"I mean he came to me, like some sort of ghost. He told me my Force presence had only recently gotten powerful enough for me to see him. And… well, there's more…" She paused to gauge his reaction so far, and he took advantage of the moment to voice his long-suffering opinion.

"Leia, c'mon, don't tell me you believe all that Force stuff. And you really are sounding a lot like Luke…"

"Hear me out Han, please." Leia said softly, and he stopped talking. "Obi-Wan told me the truth. About everything. You knew I was adopted, right?"

Han nodded again. "By Bail Organa and his wife."

Leia took a deep breath, but it didn't much help calm her nerves. Was this how Luke had felt when he'd admitted his parentage to them on Yavin IV almost three years ago? He'd made it look almost easy, had trusted them so effortlessly. "Yes," she said. "But Obi-Wan told me who my biological parents were. My mother was a Nubian senator called Padmé Amidala, and my father was a Jedi… by the name of Anakin Skywalker."

Han spluttered. "Skywalker? But that's the same name as Luke – and Vader – aw, hells! Leia, tell me you're joking!" He was shaking his head slowly, apparently unable to conceive this as the truth. Leia mirrored him, shaking her own head from side to side.

"I would never have guessed it but, now that I know, it sort of feels right that Luke's my brother. We're twins. Our mother died in childbirth and Vader thought we were dead until he discovered Luke. He doesn't know about me, or at least Obi-Wan doesn't think he does."

"But this is _crazy_! Leia, you can't honestly believe –"

"Obi-Wan really did appear to me Han. Twice, in fact. The Force is real; thousands of Jedi lived before the Empire, and I myself have felt it. Obi-Wan told me that if I train in the ways of the Force, I could fulfil the destiny that was meant for Luke. So it seems you were right after all –apparently Luke was on our side at first, but Vader has… turned him over."

But, Han was giving her a strange look now. "Luke always said all that destiny crap was a bunch of rusty bolts, and I don't think you believe in it either. Am I right?" He paused and waited for her to agree. She merely shrugged, at a loss for words. "I'm on board any plan of yours Princess, but don't think for a second that you can make me believe old Obi-Wan's got you completely on his wavelength! Your fate is what you make it, not the will of some _Force_."

"I understand Han. You're completely right," she said to soothe him. "But I know in my heart that I have to do this. I have to try and save my brother before it's too late."

With a grin, Han sat up straighter. "You do what you gotta do then, Princess. But don't imagine I'm gonna let you pull a Luke and ditch me here while you run off on some adventure."

Leia had been expecting this, but was ready. "No, Han, you have to understand that I must do this al –"

"Not anymore, ya don't," the Corellian interrupted confidently. "Luke wanted to do it all alone and bear his problems without our help too, remember? And look where that got him. From now on, it's you and me both Princess. I ain't leavin' ya."

"That certainly sounds like the Han Solo I know," Leia mused aloud, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I'm warning you it's probably not going to be an adventure; I'm going to meet with an old Jedi Master. And you have to accept that the Force is real and that I'm going to be training as a Jedi…"

Han shrugged and shot her a roguish smile. "I'm not one to judge! What ever you say, I’m on board with you, alright?" With that he got up and picked up his shirt from the ground. As he put it back on he moved towards the door. "So tell me, where are we headed?" She got up too and followed him all the way to the cockpit.

"Dagobah," Leia said wearily as she sat in the co-pilot chair usually reserved for Chewbacca. "It's not very far from here, a few hours hyperspace journey at the most, so if there's a problem here we can return quickly. I made it clear to Obi-Wan that the Alliance comes first. He may have persuaded me to start this training, but I'm not giving up my duties. It was the sheer coincidence of the situation that pulled me into his plan anyway. After all, how often do we come across such a perfect planet while the Empire's in retreat? I suppose I can afford to leave for a short while."

Pausing in his preparations for lift off, Han stared at her. "You've really though this through haven't you?" He asked with a lopsided smile. "You may be Luke's sister, but you sure ain't as reckless as him."

"Maybe our mother was the smart one," Leia sighed, reflecting on both her brother and her father's attitudes and rash actions. It seemed clear to her that she'd inherited her rationality from Padmé Amidala, not from Anakin Skywalker. Luke on the other hand had not been so blessed. "I just wish I'd known about this sooner. There might have been hope for Luke after all…"

"There still is," Han told her firmly, as the _Falcon_ shot out of the hangar. "We'll find a way. In the meantime, why don't we get you to this Dagobah planet before your brother and his daddy dearest inflict any more serious damage on the galaxy."

It was Leia's turn to give a lopsided smirk. "Han, you have to accept that _he_ is my father, too." To her surprise, he scowled.

"Kreth, I know…" He turned his head away to type something into the Nav computer. "Y'know what this means don't you? I'm the unluckiest guy in the galaxy; imagine having to ask Darth Vader for his daughter's hand!"

Leia's breath locked in her throat for a moment. She was certainly glad the shock seemed to have worn off and that Han was back to cracking jokes, but that particular one had been slightly unnerving. In fact, Han must have seen her expression, for he quickly attempted to rectify it. "A joke, obviously," he said quickly. "Not that it wouldn't – I mean you're fine and all – And I was just –"

"Han," Leia said softly, placing a hand on his. She never thought she'd ever see the smuggler looking so embarrassed. It was almost like he was about to blush. Almost. "You don't have to worry about asking him for anything because he has no say in the matter." And then, ignoring his indistinct, spluttered response, she leant in to kiss him.

He continued to vaguely blink at her when she pulled away, looking more than slightly dazed. "Eloquent as always," Leia observed with a grin.

"You caught me off guard." He retorted, before fixing up the autopilot and tuning his chair slightly to batter face her. "Listen, Princess, this isn't exactly how I imagined asking you this… In my mind there was some kind of daring rescue involved, and then a candlelit dinner or something –"

"Like when _I_ rescued _you_ from that nest of mynocks?" Leia interjected slyly. "And also, you don't cook."

He shot her a look, but pressed on. "Right, here goes. Princess, would you do me the honour of becoming Leia Organa Solo? Or is it Leia Skywalker now?"

Leia grinned, trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach. But she couldn't resist toying with him for a little longer. "I think I'll keep Organa – Skywalkers have too many issues I want nothing to do with. However I wouldn't mind adding the Solo. It has a nice ring to it." She noticed happily that his face still bore an expectant look, so she added; "Yes I will marry you, Han. Who else could put up with you and make sure you stay out of too much trouble?"

"I could say the same about you, Your Worship," Han stated, pulling her in for another kiss. "But I think we'll have to wait until the Empire’s done with. I wasn't even gonna ask you for another few years, at least…"

"Just admit you didn't have the guts to ask me," Leia said playfully, and Han gave her a sheepish grin. "Well! Considering I came here to announce to you that my father is the evil Sith second in command of the galaxy… I must say the last thing I was expecting was for you to pop the question."

"C'mon, you didn't think that would frighten me away did ya? It'll take more than Darth kriffin' Vader to keep me away." Han raised a hand to push a stray lock of hair out of her face. "He doesn't deserve a daughter like you, you know. What do you think he'll do when he finds out?"

Leia frowned, thinking. "First of all I'm going to make sure he doesn't find out until the very last moment. But… I don't know. He'd probably try to capture me like he did Luke. But I won't let him get to me. Don't forget Vader tortured me on the Death Star. And I'd met him before on Coruscant when I was a kid. My friends couldn't understand why I didn't have nightmares."

"Holy Sith, that's right, he did… Do you think he'd try and turn you to his side too?"

"Most likely. That's why I have to train. I wasn't expecting you to come along though…" She smiled, so he knew she wasn't sorry.

Han jabbed his thumb in his chest. "Well I am coming. And we've got the _Falcon_ with us, so don't you worry."

Leia found herself inexplicably grinning now. "I'm not worried, flyboy. If there's anything you know how to do, it's pilot this old crate."

**.**

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**.**

Their landing on Dagobah barely fell outside the category of a crash in Leia's opinion. Obi-Wan hadn't told her anything about the planet, or its most famous inhabitant, but she had to admit it wasn't exactly how she'd imagined it would be. Thankfully the _Millennium Falcon_ was a large ship; the swamp they'd partially landed on top of would surely have swallowed any smaller vessel such as Luke's X-Wing in a matter of hours.

After descending the ramp and ignoring Han's blue-streak of Huttese and Corellian swears alike, directed towards the many vines and splashes of mud now decorating his prized freighter, Leia looked around for traces that might lead to a Jedi Master.

No such luck. This planet was clearly devoid of any advanced civilisation, and Leia was beginning to worry Yoda may not even live here, for who would ever want to? However, she was convinced she could not have simply imagined Obi-Wan's appearances. As there seemed to be no sign of life anywhere, Han decided it might be best to get some equipment out and start exploring the surrounding jungle. Leia was therefore sitting quite alone on a large mossy boulder, putting together a life-form scanner, when she heard a voice behind her.

"Leia Organa, I presume?"

She stood and whipped around in record time, staring down at the small green being with pointed ears dressed in dark brown robes who was standing there. "Master Yoda? She asked, keeping her eyes locked with his. But she wasn't afraid; he had a wise air about him.

"More astute than your brother you are." The green being stated with a smile. "Several hours it took for him to realise my identity."

"Obi-Wan sent me," Leia stated, at a loss for what else to say.

"Yes, yes, informed me of your arrival he has." Yoda said with a few short nods. He suddenly looked very tired. "Agreed to train you I have, for the last hope of the galaxy you are. Not long am I for this world now, but strength enough to teach, I still possess."

Once she'd gotten over Yoda's strange appearance and, most of all, his strange manner of speech, Leia found that she rather liked him. "Thank you. I look forward to your teachings." She told him slowly, unsure of what she should say.

Suddenly there came a voice from the ship; "Leia? You talkin' to yourself down there?"

Oh darn, she'd almost forgotten about Han in her meeting with the tiny Jedi Master. She looked back at Yoda, and found he was still smiling. "Come alone, you did not." He commented calmly and, before Leia could answer, Han came marching down the ramp again, carrying a box of supplies.

"Han," Leia said hurriedly. "This is Master Yoda."

The smuggler glanced down to where she was motioning and froze for a moment. "Uh, hi?" He struggled with the box he was holding for a few more instants before letting it drop to the ground. "Wait, back up, _you're_ a Jedi?" He then asked, the apparent absurdity of the situation having only just hit him. Leia gripped his arm; the last thing she wanted was for her only hope in saving the galaxy to be insulted by her new fiancé.

However, Yoda remained calm. "Told me of you, Obi-Wan has. But expected you to accompany Leia I did not, young Han Solo," he said, sparing Han a look of acknowledgement. "But judge me not by my size, for my ally is the Force and a powerful ally it is."

At this, Han shot Leia a wide-eyed look that plainly meant _'You have got to be kidding'_. Ignoring him, Leia nodded to Yoda. "He meant no disrespect. So, what will you be teaching me, Master?"

Yoda scrunched his face up in what Leia supposed was a mixture of annoyance and being deep in thought. "For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi –"

"Eight hundred –?" Han interjected, but stopped when Leia shot him a look.

Yoda went on as though nothing had interrupted him. "– never have I had a case such as yours. My wish it would be to begin your training in meditation and control, but Obi-Wan… tried to convince me that more practical lessons are in order. A factor time is, I agree, so at once we shall begin. Be aware that, old I may be, you will find me a worthy opponent nonetheless."

It took a moment for Leia to process all of this, but in the end she nodded again. "Obi-Wan told me my Force presence was suddenly more attuned than before. I can feel when something bad is going to happen, and recently I felt Luke when he was close."

"Hmmm, natural it is that such a bond should exist between you and your brother. But years it would take to fine-tune your abilities beyond it. Work on it we shall, but it is not our priority." As he spoke, the little Jedi began to walk away with aid from his spindly cane. He gestured to them; "Rain it will soon. Come, come, my home will be your shelter tonight." As he moved further away, Leia glanced back at Han, who shrugged.

They followed the Jedi through the dense musky jungle after closing the ship to make sure no creatures got inside. His 'home' turned out to be a tiny hut sitting in between two immense trees, looking quite in its place. However, she might never have guessed that a Jedi lived here if she hadn't known. It was crude, and made mostly of compact soil and stone. They entered and sat down at once since it was vastly more comfortable than standing bent over from the low ceiling, and watched as Yoda walked over into what appeared to be his kitchen area.

When he returned with cups of warm tea for them all, Leia decided to ask what she'd been burning to ask all along. "Master Yoda… Obi-Wan told me you can see the future, to an extent. Do you know what will happen to Luke?"

Again the small alien's facial features pinched, indicating that he was either concentrating or annoyed by the question. "Very difficult to see, young Skywalker is. Consumed by a shroud of darkness, by Vader, he is – beyond our help." He finally told her gruffly.

"That's what Obi-Wan said too," Leia mumbled. She did not quite believe it. Despite everything Luke had done in the past weeks, she had felt his presence and it had not been evil. So, desperately, she retorted; "I felt my brother through the Force. His presence was comforting, not dark. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"Perhaps not yet fallen completely to the darkness Luke has, of course… But wary we must be. In the hands of Vader and his Emperor he is now, and that way it shall stay."

"But why would Luke _want_ to stay with Vader? He's my father too, and I'd never want to join him! And… Now that I know Luke was never a double-agent… He's a good person. The kindest, noblest, most humble guy you could ever meet!" Leia reasoned, almost pleadingly now, asking Yoda to understand that she would not let anything tarnish her image of her brother so easily.

Yoda once again closed his eyes in deep thought. "Believe that Vader could be redeemed, your brother does. Decided to attempt to save him he has." It seemed Yoda had been reluctant to tell her this.

"Could he succeed?" She asked. How could anybody so evil possibly be redeemed?

Yoda shook his head. "No. Once one strays down the dark path, forever will it control their destiny. Important it is that you understand this; Vader, as well as your brother, can never escape this fate. Only you can… make a choice, to remain in the light you must."

Leia sipped her rapidly cooling tea slowly. It wasn't very tasty, but it was still comforting to drink something warm. Yoda's words made her feel empty inside. Ever since she'd learned of her relationship with Luke, she'd felt the need, the necessity, to reach out to him. Perhaps if she got close enough, if they actually had a conversation about it… But Yoda was a seasoned Jedi, apparently over eight hundred years old even, and she had to trust his judgement. And besides, there were so few Jedi left in the galaxy – only two now, she though bitterly, though she still had a long way to go.

Luke was lost, and she had to accept that. Han might never agree, but it was time that she let go. It seemed so unfair that they'd never known of their relationship, for it might have changed everything. At long last, she nodded. "I understand. And I'll do my best to assimilate your teachings."

"With haste we must proceed," Yoda told her, all the while examining her with a calculating stare, as though he were aware of the deep change that had just occurred within her. He drained his own cup of tea. "No time to lose there is. Every day Luke is yet corrupted by the dark side, and so you must work to connect with the Force." He then retrieved her empty cup and stacked it on top of his. Han had not touched his cup, so he was ignored.

Leia sat more comfortably, imitating Yoda, and said; "You keep talking about the darkness, the dark side… What does it mean? How can darkness control, or change people?"

"The Force," Yoda explained, "is an energy that binds the universe together. Resides in all things it does, and radiates, as you will feel once you are more attuned. Jedi use it only for good, never aggression or personal gain. Emotions like fear, greed, anger, hate – the dark side are they." He paused, regarding her very seriously. "Lead only to loss and suffering, they eventually do. Sith manipulate the Force to gain power, but Jedi do not. We hone our underlying abilities, yes, connect with it, become one with it, feel it flowing through our own bodies and all living things that surround us, but never for emotional reasons do we call upon it."

Leia was silent, not quite sure she understood it all, but took it in anyway. Having only felt the Force a few times, for barely a fleeting moment each, she was unsure what Yoda meant by 'becoming one with it and feeling it flow'. It all seemed too mystical and foggy to her – she who had always been rather down-to-earth. But she followed Yoda's next instructions anyway, closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax.

Her final thought before she attempted to clear her mind was that Han would undoubtedly become bored out of his skull if this was all Yoda intended to teach her for the foreseeable future. But he wasn't complaining yet at least.

The distinctive pitter-patter of rain began outside and a small breeze entered through the window. Leia sighed deeply and let her mind be blank as she searched for that elusive Force she now knew for sure was there somewhere.

**.**

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**.**

Except for the rain, everything was much too silent in the small, warm hut. Leia sat cross-legged facing the little green creature, Yoda the Jedi, and both had their eyes closed, apparently at peace. Han on the other hand was anything but. How could he be calm after everything he'd just heard?

Not only did this guy talk about the Force like it was actually some… living thing, he had also said some rather troubling things about Luke. For one thing, Han refused to believe the Kid had 'turned' to what Yoda had described as the dark side. He knew Luke too well; the boy was biding his time, perhaps even spying on the Empire while he was at it, and would return to them. So what if Vader was his father? Luke would never want to join him for that simple reason would he?

In any case, Han resented the way this Yoda spoke only to Leia, as if he weren't even present. Han may not understand any of this Force stuff, but he wasn't an idiot and he cared about Luke just as much as Leia did. The Kid was practically a brother to him, too. He had no idea whether Leia had truly accepted that Luke was lost, but Han was almost certain she hadn't. She just _couldn't_.

Next he thought of Chewbacca and Lando. His old gambler friend had other duties to attend to and hardly needed Han around for anything, but Chewie was a different story. Maybe he should have told the wookiee about this little escapade. It would be fairly obvious once they saw the _Falcon_ was gone that he had left with Leia, but he hoped Chewie wouldn't be too angry. He had a life-debt from the wookiee that had certainly saved him many a dislocated shoulder in the past, but there was no telling how much more his furry friend would be willing to let slide. Wincing slightly, he came to the decision that tomorrow he'd just have to go back to the _Falcon_ and send a transmission to the Alliance for Chewie. For now it would be best to forget about it.

So he stared in equal silence at the unlikely pair across from him and barely held back an impatient sigh. If it weren't raining he might consider going for a stroll, but the onslaught was heavy, pounding on the roof above them and sloshing in the nearby swamps outside.

To try and occupy himself he took his first sip of the tea Yoda had given him when they'd entered, and immediately regretted it. Han wasn't a fan of it for starters, even less of cold tea. He stuck out his bottom lip and glanced around at the dirty, mismatched furniture, at the ceiling that was criss-crossed by wooden planks…

And the thought occurred to him that he was bored. It had been so long since he'd felt boredom that he was surprised by the sudden realization. It seemed the Alliance had been keeping him so busy he'd even forgotten the certain reluctance he'd had at first about joining in. But he certainly didn't regret it today, because now he had Leia. He smiled as he looked at her. Those large brown doe-eyes were presently closed, her fine eyebrows relaxed low over them, her pink lips stuck together, barely moving as she breathed –

A gruff voice tore him from his wildly straying thoughts. "Distracting us your thoughts are, Han Solo." The small Jedi said as he opened a single green eye to peer at him. Han frowned, shooting him a quizzical look, and the Jedi added; "Very loud your thinking is. I would advise you meditate also, for all the good it might do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Han retorted, both confused and annoyed.

"Close your eyes," Yoda supplied. "Clear your mind must be if you are to be calm. Blind to you the Force is not." Strangely, the green creature then gave him a smile and closed his large eye again, tilting his head backwards as he slipped into meditation again.

Meanwhile, a very confused Han shook his head slowly. He had no kriffing idea what the Jedi was going on about the Force not being 'blind to him', whatever that meant, because he sure as hell was blind to _it_ … He suppressed another sigh, but nonetheless closed his eyes too.

Thinking of nothing was harder than it sounded, and he had no idea how his thoughts could be considered 'loud' anyway. Unless Yoda could read minds somehow, sneaky son of a nek…

But it was worth a shot. If his thinking was distracting Leia from her training, which was clearly so important to her, Han supposed it couldn't hurt to do what the little green fellow said for now.

**.**

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	25. Chapter 25

It was nearly oh-six-hundred when Luke realised he should be sleeping. Perhaps it was jetlag, but he doubted it seeing as Star Destroyers ran on Imperial City time. His body still felt confused as though he were suffering from a temporal displacement however, which was surely the cause of his insomnia. Artoo and Threepio had been brought to his quarters and were shut down in the corner. Luke looked around the darkened room wearily. It was, overall, exactly the same as his quarters on the Executor had been, except for the lounge part of it.

There was a large comfortable sofa in the middle, facing a wall-mounted holovid that Luke had yet to even turn on. There were also a few datapads on the table, but Luke wasn't interested in those either. He wasn't in the mood for anything right now, which was why he had taken to sitting in front of the large viewport that overlooked Imperial City. The sky was lightening at the horizon now, but there were still many stars and flashes from ships up in the sky, though barely visible because of the massive amount of light the city itself projected into the air.

The pyramidal form of the Imperial Palace was a mere silhouette in the distance, but Luke still felt annoyed whenever his eyes lingered on it. He could almost _feel_ the Emperor over there, probably asleep at the moment.

But certainly the darkness was intense on Coruscant. And such proximity was starting to affect him more than usual. It was as though he could not stop his mind from straying; no matter how hard he tried, he could no longer reach for that inner peace he had once felt while meditating with Master Yoda. The old Jedi had been right. The dark side had now forever taken something so pure from him.

' _If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.'_ Yoda's voice ran through his mind once again, though it did him no good now.

Everyone who had tried to stop him had been right, he knew this, but he didn't want to listen. Couldn't they see the bigger picture? This wasn't about him. It was about saving his father from the darkness. In the long run, it would save the galaxy from his father and the Emperor too, if only Luke could succeed. And to do that, Luke had to understand the darkness, play along with Vader's wishes.

The thought of mounting a coup against the Emperor together made him deeply uneasy. He didn't know what would happen afterwards, like his life was leading up to that moment and then… nothing. The future was blurry to him and, as Yoda had always said, always in motion. He supposed the Force would reveal his purpose to him when the time came.

For now he needed something to do other than stare into nothingness and brood. It wasn't healthy.

Besides, the sun was up now, so he was surely allowed out of his room. He still didn't know much about the configuration of this castle, but if he snooped around he might just be able to find something of interest. The corridors were dark since there were no windows, lit only by small round artificial lights along the ceilings. This whole place made him a little claustrophobic if he was honest; he felt inadequate in this castle. It wasn't as bad as how he felt inside the Imperial Palace, but was still reminded of how small and weak he felt. However he kept on walking, ignoring the few stormtrooper guards he crossed paths with. None of them had any reaction to his presence except for following his trajectory with the helmets slowly until he had passed their spot.

He soon found what he was looking for in the lower levels; an immense hangar. And there was already somebody there. Nat looked up at once as Luke entered and her lips stretched into a grin. "Hey there Luke!" She called him over, and Luke walked towards her slowly.

"Nat… What're you doing here so early?"

The pilot wiped her hands on an already grimy rag and stood to greet him. Her hair was tied back today and she was wearing mechanic’s overalls. "When Darth Vader's your boss, you never come in late. And with all the traffic at this hour, you're better safe than sorry. I always get here earliest I can."

"Oh," Luke said distractedly. Remembering all that had happened last night, he failed to understand how in the galaxy Nat still wanted to talk to him. Usually when people he considered friends witnessed him murdering people, they weren't keen on hanging around him afterwards. And if he wasn’t mistaken, she’d been trying to score a date with the person he murdered. Although she did turn out to be Fett’s lackey…

But, now that Luke had company, he found he wasn't quite sure he wanted it anymore. Such was how the dark side affected him. Whenever he craved something, and did everything he could to get it, in the end it was ever really enough. Nothing could fill the void he felt inside.

"Kid, you alright?" Nat suddenly asked, looking genuinely concerned. She cocked her head and bent a little at the knees to look at him better. Luke nodded.

"I'm alright. Just a sleepless night. Nothing I've never handled before." As he spoke he stretched and walked further into the hangar, staring at all the ships. He knew Vader was an enthusiast, but this was truly an exceptional collection. Just off the top of his head he recognized an old, Clone Wars era Eta-2 Actis-class Interceptor, a beautiful, shiny M-31 airspeeder, a T-13 that looked like it had had better days, the Lambda-class shuttle they'd arrived from the _Executor_ in, and a Drexl-class fighter which had its main compartment open – apparently his father was working on that one right now.

There were also many different kinds of speeders the likes of which Luke had never even seen before. You didn't have much time to browse through the newest models in catalogues while hiding out with the rebellion. Cleary he'd fallen behind on the news because some of the speeders looked so futuristic to him. He was itching to try them out.

"Impressive collection, eh?" Nat stated, coming up behind him and patting the nearest speeder, which was separate from the rest. "This one's the only thing in here that I'm allowed to touch." She told him, though Luke had recognized it as the one they had flew in yesterday.

"Yeah, it's pretty nice…" Luke said quietly. He then watched as Nat returned to her tinkering, still unsure what to make of the TIE pilot. She seemed very friendly, and he was glad to have another pilot to talk to but… Luke thought he'd made it perfectly clear up front that he was Vader's apprentice and that it was probably not in Nat's best interest to trust him – he didn't want a repeat of the whole Crank thing – but Nat kept talking to him like they were old friends, and obviously wasn't afraid of him at all.

"You can help out if you like," Nat suddenly said, looking up. "If you're looking for something to do." She then shrugged and grabbed a new tool before plunging back into the hood of the speeder. Luke blinked a few times, rooted to the spot, but finally grabbed a nearby bottle of wax and started to give the speeder a good old coat of gloss.

An hour or so went by before anything happened. Luke was finishing off breakfast (they’d had some delivered) and the turbolift on the far left of the room flashed, indicating that somebody was coming down. Luke didn't even look up, too busy helping Nat reconfigure the speeder, but the respirator sound he heard when the doors to the lift opened was enough to announce his father's arrival.

When the Sith Lord came to a halt near them, Nat apparently remembered herself and dropped everything she was holding in order to salute. Luke smirked, but also turned to Vader with a short nod. It was hard to tell if his father was still angry at him or not, but as always it was safer to assume that he was.

"I believe we had a training session scheduled this morning young one." Vader said coldly, and Luke frowned.

"I don't remember you telling me anyth –"

"Am I right in assuming that you did not think to look over the datapads I arranged to have deposited in your quarters, then?" His father interrupted, practically seething. Luke felt a stab of annoyance.

"You're right, I didn't," he said wearily. "But it's only half past oh-eight. We still have some time don't we?" He kept his tone of voice calm, but was unable to completely supress the bitterness there. His father stared down at him for several moments before growling.

"Come with me." He didn't wait for him, simply turning on his heel in a whirl of black material and heading back towards the lift. Luke grit his teeth, shot a hasty, mumbled 'See you later' at Nat, and followed the Sith into the elevator just before the doors had time to close.

At once his father rounded on him. "What you are doing is very dangerous Luke. You cannot afford to have _friends_ here."

Luke scoffed. "What, so I'm not allowed to talk to anybody else but you now? I was helping her with repairs on her speeder, what's the big deal?"

"The _problem_ ," Vader growled, "Is that if you appear to have sympathetic feelings towards anybody, the Emperor will become suspicious of us. There is no time for foolishness of any kind while on Coruscant. You will have to work very hard to maintain the image we have built for you."

Not knowing what to say in response to all this, and feeling embarrassed, Luke hastily changed the subject. "And about that training session; why didn't you just call me through the Force when you saw I was going to be late?"

"To do so in such close proximity to the Emperor would be most inadvisable." Vader explained sharply.

"So you mean we shouldn't use the Force bond as long as we're on Coruscant?"

"That is correct."

Luke only just managed not to scowl. The Force bond with his father felt like the only thing keeping him at least a little happy. He shuddered to think what would happen if he was suddenly deprived of the most important contact he had with another being. "And how long will we be here again?"

"It has not yet been determined, but several months yet I expect." Vader told him, just as the lift reached their destination. The doors slid apart and they stepped out of it in time with each other, right into a huge training hall. Luke craned his neck to stare upwards at the cavernous, airy ceiling. The walls here were the same dull grey as everywhere else, but somehow this room still managed to look immense. He vaguely listened to his father talking to him as he walked around.

"It seems being on Imperial Centre has begun to take a toll on us both," he commented. "I feel much anger in you Luke." Vader began to pace, and Luke hesitated. Briefly he thought of informing his father about the Boba Fett situation, but he decided to wait. He didn't want anything to interrupt this training session. Indeed he felt angry, and he needed this time with Vader to deal with it. Vader drew his lightsaber with the usual _snap-hiss_ , making Luke jump, and they were both bathed in its ruby light. To his own shame, Luke's immediate reaction was to take a step back.

He waited for his father to throw him his usual training lightsaber, but nothing came. Vader's shimmering red blade swished around the air in front of the Sith in a few controlled movements, and Luke flinched. Surely his father wasn't going to attack him point blank like this?

But he did and Luke was forced to jump out of the way as the red blade was turned on him in one powerful, brutal and swift move. He rolled to a stop several meters away and frowned at his father. "What the hell!"

There was no response, as Vader merely advanced upon him again and invaded his space, swinging forth the humming red blade. Luke managed to evade his next attacks for only a few minutes before he took a hit. The lightsaber sliced at his neck, causing him to go momentarily blind from the pain. It wasn't as bad as when he'd lost his hand, but it still hurt a great deal. When he raised his hand to feel it he saw that the blade had merely grazed him – it was a flesh wound, nothing very serious – and it would probably heal right up with one of Harv's bacta patches. However, he still wasn't amused by his father's idea of a training session.

Grumbling to himself, he got up and pulled away before Vader could strike back. The blade missed him by a millimetre.

Several minutes of running and jumping around avoiding Vader's lightsaber, as well as two other cuts, this time to the cheek and the shoulder, it seemed his father had enough. The Sith paused in raising his weapon and regarded Luke for a moment. "Defend yourself, Luke."

"With what?" Luke snarled back. "You have a kriffing lightsaber! I didn't sleep all night and I don't even have a weapon!" At this his thoughts flew to the blaster he had taken from Boba Fett, but he had left it in his quarters.

"Sleep deprivation is treacherous," Vader seemed to agree. "You need to be well rested and on your guard in the future. Now, I repeat; defend yourself. Use the dark side of the Force to its fullest."

Luke hadn't the faintest idea what that was supposed to mean, but he didn't have much time to ponder it for Vader immediately attacked him again. This time Luke rolled out of the way further than usual and held out an arm in direction of his father, drawing upon the rage he felt inside. However, Vader deflected it with a flick of his hand.

"No." He said lazily, and Luke growled in annoyance when he had to jump to the other side of the room to yet again avoid the humming red blade. Couldn't his father even congratulate him on being so fast and nimble? He was sure not that many people could evade his father's weapon this easily. It was partly due to his lithe body, but his training with Yoda had certainly helped with his reflexes too. He was good at jumping from place to place, even at several metres distance and height without exhausting himself.

But he began to look around the room for things he might be able to use against Vader. The hall was mostly empty, but there were several aeration vents and the like lined along the walls. As he jumped around he concentrated on one in particular, and was pleased when it ripped from its position on the wall. It floated in the air a few feet away from them, and Luke pulled it over with a quick hand movement.

It flew through the air and collided with Vader's left shoulder. The Sith let out a groan that was half surprise, half irritation. Pleased, Luke repeated the exercise, ripping several more of the objects from the wall and throwing them towards Vader before the Sith managed to pull himself together and banish the objects from the area surrounding him. In fact, he pulled three of them up at a time and threw them back at Luke.

Two of them Luke was able to throw off with a well-aimed push of his hand, but he wasn't strong enough to expel the third. It hit him squarely in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He fell to his knees and tried to draw a breath, but his chest felt constricted. He could hear Vader approaching, but wasn't able to get up. When his head cleared and his vision returned he looked up and saw that his father was looming over him, his lightsaber raised.

He did not attack, but the message was clear; if Vader so desired, Luke would be dead right now. Realising he was panting, Luke clutched his throat and massaged his most recent wound. His fingers were all bloody when he looked at them, but it only served to make him angrier.

By quickly swerving around before his father could suddenly decide to strike him down, Luke was able to get back up. Without hesitating he aimed a heavy kick at Vader's side and a dull metallic clang rang through the room as his foot collided with the Sith Lord's shin. Vader had no reaction that could be perceived as pain however and he quickly steadied himself as his own leg tensed. Just a moment too late, Luke realised what was about to happen.

Vader's counter strike sent him flying a good few feet away and had him lying on the floor clutching his stomach with both hands for several seconds. His father's hard boot had struck him somewhere just south of the ribcage, delivering a heavy blow without really doing any permanent damage. He struggled to at least get on all fours before Vader reached him again, but it didn't matter. Just as he was lifting his suddenly very heavy head from the floor, his father's foot once again struck him in the stomach. He rose into the air slightly before falling back down and rolling onto his back, coughing.

Once he was able to string more than two words together, he glared upwards at the still form of his father and snarled. "You're not supposed to be actually hurting me!"

"The Emperor would beg to differ." Vader answered coldly, further enraging Luke. He managed to sit back up again as he next spoke.

"To hells with _the Emperor_! He's not here right now, is he?" He flinched when Vader raised his lightsaber a fraction of an inch at his words, but no further attack came. Instead, Vader emitted a great, rumbling sigh.

"Pain helps the dark side grow." Vader took a step back, allowing Luke to finally lower his guard and attempt to stand. His legs were shaky, but after a few moments he was able to get up. He had half a mind to retort that he wanted nothing to do with the dark side anyway, but that sneaky voice within him reminded him that it was too late for that. Much too late.

"So, explain to me again how I'm supposed to fight you without a weapon?" Luke snapped back. "I know, I know all that stuff about my supposed 'dormant power' and using my anger, but you're _Darth Vader_ … For kriff's sake…"

For once, his father did not chastise him for swearing. "Luke," he suddenly spoke softly. "Never doubt yourself."

Luke couldn't think of a suitable retort to this, so he kept silent. He let his anger grow within his soul for a while longer, still feeling the pain from all the recent injuries his father had inflicted on him. But then the thought occurred to him that he was angry at the one person he should never be… How was he to save his father if he lost sight of that simple fact? _His father_. He must never forget it.

Otherwise he would truly belong to the darkness. And so his anger dissipated and he managed to regain a certain amount of calm.

Ready for another round, he brushed off some imaginary dust from his shoulders and assumed a new fighting stance. His face was determined and his eyes narrowed.

However, Vader's presence intruded upon his mind and felt the light inside. "It would be pointless to continue this exercise now," he finally said irritably. "You have completely lost sight of what I have taught you."

Luke knew better than to argue, and his whole body was screaming for him to go see Harv for some bacta, so he relaxed his posture. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "It's still difficult for me to disregard my previous teachings."

"I suggest you meditate on this while you have some time alone. There is a meeting I must attend at the Imperial Palace in an hour and I shall be leaving shortly." Vader informed him as he tucked away his lightsaber and made for the turbolift at the other end of the training hall.

As he followed his father, Luke decided it was time. "There's something I need to tell you," he said casually as they entered the lift together. "Yesterday I… crossed paths with someone on Coruscant and well, I captured him. He's in the detention centre of this castle right now."

He saw Vader's mask turn sharply in his direction from the corner of his eye, and smiled. His father immediately asked, "And who is this person?"

"Boba Fett," Luke replied easily, certain that he had achieved some level of surprise with this declaration.

Indeed, Vader was silent for a long time before asking; "Why did you capture him? I was not aware that he had any reason to be on our wanted list."

"He came to me, actually. His intention was to blackmail me I think, but he didn't realise that it wouldn't work. He told me he knew what my last name was and who my father was, and was convinced that you would find that very interesting." Luke felt Vader freeze, and the Sith didn't immediately move to step out of the elevator once the doors opened. He stood still for a terribly long moment before following Luke into the corridor.

"And how in the galaxy does Fett know of this?"

"Beats me," Luke shrugged. "He's good, that Boba Fett. But, I told him there was no deal and I brought him here. I figured you'd know what to do to keep him quiet."

If Vader was impressed that his son had somehow single-handedly apprehended one of the most notorious bounty hunters in the galaxy, he did not voice it. He did, however, growl his intentions: "Oh, Fett will be keeping very quiet. Dead men tell no tales."

Luke was not surprised that Vader planned to kill Fett. In fact, he'd been counting on it. He took a deep breath, and asked, "When you go interrogate him, would you let me come with you?"

Father and son continued to walk down the hallway at a steady pace, but Luke recognised that slight hitch in Vader's breathing apparatus that mean he was startled. He did not speak until they had reached Luke's assigned quarters however, where they stopped and regarded each other for a long time. Luke knew there was the distinct possibility he'd be forced into murdering again if he voluntarily accompanied Vader to see Fett, but it was a risk he was willing to take. After all, Fett was after Han, and that was something Luke could not allow to go on.

At last, Vader spoke. "Be in the main hangar at sixteen-hundred." He waited briefly for Luke to nod, and then walked away in that usual brisk manner of his.

With hours to blow off suddenly, Luke stretched and walked into his room. He found the message stating that they indeed had a training session scheduled for that morning in the datapad on his desk, and erased it with a smirk. He turned the holovid on and flipped through the channels hurriedly, certain that he wouldn't find anything interesting, and looked around the room again. Artoo and Threepio were gone off somewhere, leaving him quite alone. The furniture and bedspread in here were all black, but the room managed to look less eerie during the day with the blinds open.

Luke sighed and decided there was no way he was staying put like his father probably expected him to and remaining in this room for the whole day. It wasn't even noon yet. He should have been sleepy considering the long sleepless night he'd just had, but the training session with his father had pumped him up and he was feeling too energetic to take a nap. So his decision was made and he left in direction of the hangar he'd been in with Nat just before Vader had shown up.

It took him a surprisingly short time to locate it, as he was quickly memorising all the complicated hallways this castle was made out of, and he was glad to find that Nat was still there. The TIE pilot was ordering some maintenance droids around when Luke entered and she immediately came over to him.

"Luke! I wasn't expecting to see you back here this morning. How was training with Lord Vader?"

"Same as usual, more or less," Luke answered automatically, a little put off by her ever-casual attitude regarding her boss. "What're you up to now?"

Nat gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry – no time to hang out with you right now. I have to get to work on some other things. I was actually just about to leave after getting these useless things to get this hangar cleaned up…" She eyed the maintenance droids with distaste briefly, then looked back at Luke. "You going to be alright?"

"Yeah," Luke shrugged. "It's just really boring in here. And I don't even know where to go for food."

"Yeah, this place is a little droll. And there are no kitchens or anything here, since Lord Vader doesn't exactly…" Nat was shooting him a strange look now and Luke was suddenly reminded of the conversation he'd had with Vader a while ago, about people being curious as to what was underneath all that armour.

He promptly ignored that topic, and asked a new question. "So I actually have to leave the castle to go get food?"

Nat nodded slowly. "Didn't Lord Vader tell you that?"

"Must've slipped his mind," Luke sighed. "Well that's just great. It'll give me something to do I guess." He looked around the hangar, and Nat must have understood him.

"You can take my speeder if you want!" She offered, patting the hood of the nearby red vehicle. It practically sparkled under the lights in the hangar, still glistening from the generous coating of wax Luke had given it earlier.

"Seriously?" Luke asked, grinning.

"Sure, no problem. It's partially paid for by the navy anyway. And you're such a good pilot, what could possibly happen?"

"You don't know me." Luke said warningly. In his experience, phrases similar to 'what could possibly happen?' were usually foreboding.

"I know you well enough to say with confidence that you're a good pilot. Now, take it! Go explore Imperial City. As long as you're back before You-Know-Who returns from his meeting, you're all good."

"Why are you calling him that here?"

"Force of habit," Nat grinned. "It's kind of an in-joke between TIE pilots actually." She sighed, then handed Luke the keys to the speeder. "Here you are! Have fun!" She stood back to watch him fly off.

The speeder roared to life and hummed under his seat as Luke turned it on and he couldn't stop himself from letting out an exhilarated laugh as he sped off from the hangar into the sky. _This_ was his true calling. Right now, nothing else mattered but him and the sky around him. The area around the castle was clear of skylanes, so he was free to test out the speeder as much as he liked, although he was careful to stay reasonable so as not to annoy the stormtroopers who were guarding the entrance to Vader's residence. The last thing he needed was to be shot out of the sky for recklessness.

After several minutes, Luke chose a skylane direction and entered the traffic. It was slower than it had been last night, but it didn't matter. Luke was just glad to be flying. He passed several fast food joints before deciding on one. He used the fly-though, something he'd always wanted to do, and ordered a large Nerfburger trio. He then ate it as he flew around the district, simply admiring the view. It was warm and sunny today on Imperial Centre, and not the Tatooine kind of warm and sunny. It was actually pleasant to be outside.

Luke quickly found a large rooftop to settle on where a few other speeders were already parked, and he sat there for a while as he finished his food, trying not to think too much about his current situation.

Instead, for the first time in a while, Luke actually thought of Leia and Han. He wondered where they were and how they were coping with this whole situation. They had probably regrouped somewhere and were establishing a base hidden far away from the clutches of the Empire. But with Mon and Ackbar dead, the heavy burden of running the Alliance now rested mostly on Leia's shoulders, a fact that made Luke feel uneasy.

His best friends and what had practically been his surrogate siblings – Han and Leia – were now expected to be his greatest enemies. But only time would tell how things played out…

"Hey, you!" A voice from behind him called out suddenly. Luke recognized it as the filtered voice of a stormtrooper, so he got to his feet at once and turned around.

Three white-clad troopers were advancing towards him quickly. "This is a restricted zone," one of them informed him. "Do you have a clearance pass?" He held out his hand expectantly.

Luke blinked. "Restricted zone? What are all these doing here then?" He asked, glancing around at the many speeders parked there on the rooftop. Now that he looked closer most of them did look quite expensive…

"Are you joking? This is the private residence of Grand Moff Rufaan Tigellinus. Get the hell out of here before we arrest you."

Incredulous, but not keen on getting into more trouble, Luke backed away in direction of Nat’s speeder. "All right, I'm sorry, I'm leaving…" He said quickly as he searched for his keys.

The stormtroopers were obviously either very nervous, or very paranoid, because they didn't stop there. The one who'd been talking before cocked his helmet to the side slowly. "That your speeder?" He asked, and Luke frowned.

"It's my friend's speeder." He said before realising how stupid it sounded.

"How old are you?" Another one of the troopers asked, sounding suddenly annoyed.

Knowing that it was a no-win situation, Luke quickly jumped into the speeder and blasted off from the rooftop. However, he didn't miss the shouts from the stormtroopers on the roof and, under a minute later, there were sirens in the air. Luke glanced back just in time to see a large white airspeeder emerge from the depths of Coruscant's streets, its lights flashing red and blue. He stared at it barely long enough to read the 'Coruscant Security Force' logo on its side.

Luke knew he couldn't afford to get arrested. It definitely wouldn't sit well with Vader, and besides, Nat might lose the speeder because of him. On top of that, he barely had any credits on him right now, and he'd already, stupidly, admitted that the speeder wasn't his. So he swerved downwards, hoping to lose the large CSF speeder in the crowd of incoming traffic. He thought he'd managed it for a few moments as the sirens were drowned by the sounds of the many speeders around him as well as the rushing in his ears, but it appeared the citizens of Coruscant were quickly manoeuvring out of the way to let the Security troopers get to him.

A loud voice sounded through the air; "Pull over or we will open fire."

"Seriously?" Luke yelled as, not a moment later, a few blaster bolts narrowly missed him. And the CSF weren't backing down; several more blaster shots came his way and he was forced to drop even lower to evade them.

After a while Luke wondered if it might be better just to pull over, but he'd seen enough of these cops to know that they couldn't be reasoned with. Still, it was a pretty stupid thing to die for, being shot down by the police for refusing to stop flying. Well, too late now. He just hoped some of Han's Corellian luck had rubbed off on him…

He took a deep breath and shot the speeder upwards in complicated loops and turns. He probably scared a few other pilots around him out of their wits, but there were no accidents and he got to the top of the skylanes alive. However, the cops were still hot on his trail and there were now four white, flashing vehicles after him. Scowling, Luke pulled on the controls and shot back downwards, aware that the tactic was getting old and wasn't likely to work as well. But he still had a few more tricks up his sleeve. He dived into a tunnel and made a U-turn at the next opportunity, straight into the lane going in the opposite direction. He then pulled into reverse and entered seamlessly into the traffic, reducing his speed as he did so.

His new scheme was to appear inconspicuous in the sea of a million speeders but unfortunately, he was apparently too recognizable and was quickly spotted again. He'd have thought the cops would at least be reluctant to shoot at him while he was so close to other, innocent, citizens, but they obviously didn't care judging by the rain of blaster shots that came down on him from above. Panicking now, Luke turned over sideways to exit the lane and tried to climb upwards towards the sky again.

He wasn't quick enough. There were now six large speeders crowding around him and they had all opened fire. Luke managed to land atop a nearby low roof terrace, and it heavily contended with his arrival on Dagobah for the spot of 'worst landing ever' on his list. He grit his teeth as the speeder screeched against the duracrete for several metres before coming to a halt. He then jumped out of it and put his hands up, looking upwards to the CSF speeders.

One of them landed and he was quickly apprehended by four stormtroopers. They put him in binders and immediately began to interrogate him.

"What were you doing on that rooftop? Are you a spy? A rebel?" One of the troopers was searching him, presumably for bombs or concealed weapons. Luke bit his lip; he didn't even have a blaster on him. He honestly hadn't expected anything of this magnitude to happen.

"No! It was a mistake – a coincidence! I didn't even know –"

"Shut up!" One of them ordered. "You are under arrest in the name of the Empire. You are going to be taken to a CSF centre, where your identity will be checked and your fate will be decided. You do not have the right to remain silent."

Before he could speak again, a hand was placed in the small of his back and he was thrown into one of the white speeders. He felt like kicking himself; even if they checked his identity, he was almost certain that the Coruscant database didn't have anything on him. Unless some miracle occurred, he was pretty much bantha fodder.

And he doubted he'd be able to convince anybody that he was Darth Vader's charge, much less his apprentice, without a lightsaber or any other kind of proof.

And his father was going to kill him.

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	26. Chapter 26

The Coruscant Security Force building was a large, square, generic grey thing that bored you halfway to death before you even stepped foot inside. Luke was shoved unceremoniously through its doors as soon as the speeders were parked up front on the landing platform and then brought to an interrogation room. The stormtroopers flanking him on each side had a very firm grip on his upper arms. They were in full costume but somehow, he could sense that they were nervous. Apparently, evading the CSF was a feat not easily accomplished by any ordinary citizen.

Luckily, or not, depending on what they wanted with him, Luke was anything but a common citizen. In fact, he wasn't even sure he was considered a Coruscant citizen. That fact would surely be the first to be thrown in his face.

He was roughly forced to sit on a plain chair in the middle of a small grey interrogation room that actually resembled one of the cells of the _Executor_ , only larger. A man in formal general's attire appeared in the doorway a moment later and shut the door behind him as he came to a stop in front of Luke, facing him smartly. He was an older man with receding, peppery hair and had a nasty, bony face with sharp, pale blue eyes that seemed too small in proportion to his other features.

"Well, well, quite the little pilot aren't we?" He asked after several moments of looking him over, having already been filled in on the situation it seemed. He straightened, and the crisp material of his uniform tensed at the shoulders. "I am Commissioner Tapley. Who are you?"

Luke was fully aware that he must look truly unremarkable, or even unintimidating, at the moment. But he tried to maintain a confident façade as he answered. "My name is Luke."

The commissioner shot him an annoyed look. "Anything more to that name, _Luke_? And while we're at it, is there any particular reason you were casually sitting around on the roof of a private residence in a stolen speeder?"

"It wasn't stolen," Luke immediately said. "It belongs to a friend of mine. She's a TIE pilot on the _Executor_."

At this, the commissioner looked around at the stormtrooper guards and Luke saw that they had removed their helmets. They were all smirking, as if they were sharing some kind of private joke. "A likely story," Commissioner Tapley said with a tense edge to his voice. "I'll ask you once more, nicely. Next time I won't be so nice. Who are you?"

There was no way in hells they were going to believe him but it was all he had, so Luke sighed and answered. "My name is Luke. I don't have a last name because I'm an orphan from birth. But my legal guardian is Darth Vader – I assume you're familiar with him?"

A very pregnant pause followed his statement, and then all the stormtroopers started to laugh.

"Just throw 'im in detention, I say!" One of them managed through his chuckles as he clutched at his side.

However, the commissioner wasn't laughing. Not even a smile cracked his flawless sabbac face. He paced in front of Luke's chair for a moment with a stern look in his eye. "Do you have any proof to support this?" He asked softly, looking upon Luke with a calculating stare. Unlike the troopers, Luke could tell he wasn't prepared to dismiss the theory, on the off chance it may be true. He clearly wasn't the sort of man to take risks.

Unfortunately, Luke had nothing on him at the moment. Like an idiot, he'd left the stack of identity cards Nat had given him yesterday on his desk near the datapads from his father. Slowly and feeling very foolish, he shook his head. "I don't have any ID on me right now."

In a few long strides the commissioner crossed the room towards the only other piece of furniture: a small table with a flimsiplast folder on it. He lifted it from the wooden surface and jotted down a few things with a stylus from the breast pocket of his uniform. "Then I'm afraid we must place you under arrest, Mr Luke." He said calmly, not even looking towards him.

Grumbling to himself, Luke impatiently pushed away the hand of the nearest trooper, who had attempted to get him to stand up again and lead him away. "Wait! I can call Vader, just let me have one holo call! He's going to be really angry when he finds out –" He interrupted himself with a rather sinister thought; his father would be much angrier at him for getting arrested than at the CSF for doing their job, wouldn't he? It certainly would be in character for him, especially since they were on Coruscant and so close to the Emperor.

Nobody answered him, so he sighed heavily and let the stormtroopers grip his arms again as he stood. They then attempted to steer him towards the door however, and he pushed them away. "I can walk, thanks," he snapped.

Tapley was still in the corner reading the file. He looked up; "How old are you Luke?"

"Twenty," Luke replied angrily, as he was busy glaring daggers at the two stormtroopers still flanking him on each side.

"Hmmm," Tapley hummed in a disapproving father kind of way. "Well, that adds the matter of you being underage to your little list of infractions then. Carry on," he shot at the stormtroopers, who grasped Luke again and walked him out of the door into the hallway beyond. Luke didn't even resist this time, fuming interiorly. The commissioner's attitude towards him wasn't helping him keep his deadly anger under check. If he wasn't careful, 'murder' would soon be added to that list.

They rode a turbolift downwards to the detention level and entered a corridor lined with tiny cells. Most of them were occupied by non-humans, or very shady-looking individuals. Once he was pushed into a cell and left alone to brood, Luke had to resist the urge to groan.

Now there was no doubt about it; his father was going to _kill_ him if he ever managed to contact him.

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The hangar was empty when Vader entered. With an infuriated growl, he came to a halt near a worktable and looked around. He was purposely late so he wouldn't have to endure exactly this; waiting for his son. It was already more than a quarter past sixteen-hundred. The boy really needed to learn to be punctual if he expected to survive in this world of Imperial City.

Vader was made even less patient than usual by the long, dreary meeting he had just attended. He hardly cared for any of the Moffs' or Grand Admiral's opinions on his strategies, and he suspected they weren't always keen on sharing them with him either. But Palpatine's presence in a meeting room could make otherwise fearfully silent men suddenly very talkative.

Impatiently, Vader checked the time on the wall-mounted clock again and noted that Luke was now half an hour late. With a weary shake of his head, Vader decided to simply deal with Fett without his son's presence. He had appreciated Luke's apparent desire to be included in the interrogation, but this really was ridiculous. He briefly wondered if he should go look for him, but the castle was large and knowing Luke, the boy could be getting into all sorts of trouble at the moment. And he did not dare attempt to locate him using their bond, with the Emperor in such close vicinity. It was strange however… he should at least be able to feel him in the building, which was after all not bigger than his flagship…

With a final shrug, Vader turned and headed back to the turbolift. When the doors slid open however, he was surprised to see somebody already inside. It was Natali Krimbar, the TIE pilot from Black Squadron Luke had taken to hanging around with.

"What are you still doing here?" Vader boomed at her. "Your shift ended over an hour ago."

Krimbar was out of breath. She stepped out of the lift breathing hard and with a hand on her knee. "Lord… Vader… Do excuse me, but I have, um, news…"

"News?" Vader barked. Absently it seemed, Krimbar's hand went to her exposed neck. She apparently realized that relating bad news to him at this time could be fatal.

However, she gave a small salute and calmed, her breathing returning somewhat to normal. "Yes, My Lord. It's… about Luke."

"Where is he?" Vader immediately growled, taking a step forward and invading the startled TIE pilot’s space. He was already imagining the worst…

"Nothing very serious, Sir," Krimbar winced. "I was just informed that, well… It seems Luke was arrested today. I think the CSF people didn't believe him when he told them who he was, which is why nobody attempted to contact you personally." Krimbar seemed to be holding back a smirk, as though she found something funny about the situation.

Vader however was anything but amused, and his temper grew steadily shorter as Krimbar's explanations progressed. "What are the charges?" He finally demanded wearily, both taken aback and exasperated by the news. It was indeed worse than anything he'd been imagining just now, but at least Luke was unharmed.

"I don't really know, My Lord." Krimbar said carefully. "But I have the address of the CSF centre where he's being detained." She fished a scrap of flimsy from her pocket and held it awkwardly towards Vader.

With another growl, Vader snatched it from her and turned around to stride further into the hangar. He quickly located his favourite speeder and climbed in. After glancing once at the hastily scrawled address on the note, he crunched it into a ball with his fist and sped off into the sky.

He made great time due to his use of shortcuts and slight speeding. After all these years he still enjoyed flying so much that he just could not bring himself to submit to speed limits. It wasn't like any CSF officer would dare arrest him anyway. However, as he parked in front of the large grey building, some guards came over to him with wary looks.

Vader barked at them. "Get out of my way. And if you so much as look at my speeder again, I'll make sure it is the last thing you ever see." He shot at one of the younger ones, whom he noticed was busy admiring his ride. The young man snapped to attention and nodded firmly, his eyes wide. It was understandable; most people had never seen him outside of holovid news.

Vader brushed past the guards and into the front entrance. There were a few citizens in the waiting room, but he didn't even spare them a glance. A secretary was filing some things at the front desk, and she stopped to gape at him for a moment before standing strait as a nail and speaking. "Do… Do you have an appointment, uh, Sir?" She asked, apparently half-heartedly, not expecting him to grace her with an answer.

Vader ignored her completely, walking past the desk into the hallways beyond. There was nothing she could do to stop him, and he doubted she'd try anyway. Her superiors wouldn't patronize her for allowing passage to the Second in Command of the Galaxy.

He could definitely feel Luke's presence in this building now, and very briefly, he reached out to it. Instantly he was met with such a myriad of emotions that he stopped in the middle of the corridor. His son was confused and annoyed, afraid of what Vader's reaction might be, wondering if Vader would even show up, but there, in the forefront of his mind, there was anger. Luke was incredibly angry at the apparent _injustice_ of his situation.

Slightly less irritated, and perhaps even a little, dare he think it, _amused_ , Vader resumed his stalking down the corridor until he reached the control room for the prisoner cells. As soon as he entered a group of four stormtroopers came to attention, their astonished expressions covered by their helmets. A willowy, aged man who unpleasantly reminded Vader of a certain grand Moff of the Death Star, with his sallow cheekbones and tiny mean eyes, turned and quickly covered up his own surprised expression with one of polite inquisition.

"Lord Vader! What… an honour to meet you. Welcome to the Coruscant Security Force Center. What can we do for you?" His tone was formal, nearly managing to sound pleased, but there was that undertone of wariness; he feared for his life. He knew Darth Vader wasn't one for courtesy visits.

"I seem to have misplaced my apprentice," Vader said, and thoroughly enjoyed the look of horror that flashed in the man's eyes. "He's a twenty year old boy with blond hair and blue eyes. I've been told he was arrested here today."

After a second of hesitation, the man turned to face a stormtrooper and muttered a quick order. The group of troopers moved away, and returned barely a minute later with Luke in tow. The boy stared apprehensively at Vader, and was so believable that Vader wondered if it was to maintain the image of the submitted apprentice, or if he was truly that afraid of what his reaction would be. The commissioner gave a quick formal bow. "My Lord we apologize for any inconvenience –"

"What are the charges?" Vader interrupted, and the man stumbled to a desk where he picked up a folder and proceeded to read what was written.

"Um, yes, let's see… Speeder theft, reckless piloting, piloting without a licence or identification, resisting arrest, suspicion of terrorism and reluctance to provide information." He cleared his throat and looked back at Vader. "But of course, there will be no fine. The fault is all ours; the boy did tell us you were his guardian, we –"

For a second time he was interrupted, but now it was by Luke. "Wait, _suspicion of terrorism?_ What sort of joke is that?"

The man was startled, but he answered rather calmly. "We _supposed_ since you were on the roof of Moff Tigellinus' residence… But, as I said, all charges are hereby –"

Vader interrupted him again. "I think _my apprentice_ ," he put a hand on Luke's shoulder and tightened his grip so that the boy squirmed under him, "will be more than capable of telling me what has happened here. We will be leaving now." A wave of relief came over the man's face. However, Vader wasn't finished with him. "And your services are no longer required. I believe you've shown quite enough incompetence for me to decide your fate." He lifted a hand and choked the man through the Force, relishing the shock and panic in his eyes, just as he'd done hundreds times before.

He briefly glanced at Luke and was surprised to see no reaction there. Usually his son might have protested, or pleaded with him not to punish the man. But he could still feel the intense anger boiling under the surface; it was even more powerful now. Vader's lips twisted into a smile that nobody could see.

The lifeless body of the CSF commissioner fell to the ground and two stormtroopers apparently got over their shock and rushed to take him away. Swiftly Vader walked out of the room, implying wordlessly as usual that Luke should follow him. It was only once they were outside the building in front of the speeder that he spoke to his son.

"Speeder theft? Resisting arrest?" His tone was calm but dark, and he knew Luke could feel his annoyance.

"It was _Nat's_ speeder, but they didn’t believe me!" Luke replied as he climbed in next to Vader. He then crossed his arms, looking very much like a small child at the moment. "And I wouldn't have resisted if they hadn't opened fire on me first."

Vader sighed as he pulled on the controls and blasted off into the skylanes above. "What happened to the speeder?"

"It was destroyed when I was forced to land."

"I see." Vader fell silent for a long time. They were nearly back at the castle before anybody spoke again.

"You know it wasn't entirely my fault right? Most of it was an accident…" Luke mumbled, keeping his gaze on the window, determined not to look at Vader.

"Nothing happens by accident," Vader said firmly. "If you had remained in the castle, none of this would have occurred."

"If there was any food in the castle, I would have stayed there!" Luke retorted angrily, suddenly turning his head to glare upwards at him. Vader paused for a moment; perhaps his son did have a point. In all honesty, Vader had absolutely no idea if there was anything edible for Luke in the castle.

He grumbled to himself and avoided the subject. "You simply cannot admit your foolish ideas and recklessness are what get you into these situations!"

"And you," Luke said haughtily, "just can't admit you're wrong! All I've been doing since I got here is looking for things you should have told me in the first place. You didn't show me where my room was, you didn't come tell me yourself that you wanted us to train together this morning, you didn't tell me how to get food… How am I supposed to know these things? And then you always act like I'm stupid, or like I'm a six year old kid who can't do anything by himself."

"No," Vader snapped back. "All you've been doing since you got here is engaging in fights with known bounty hunters, and getting arrested."

"That's a little exaggerated."

"You've managed to do that in barely two days; it's hardly an exaggeration Luke." With a jerk of his wrist, Vader tilted the ship forward in order to descend towards the landing platform of the castle.

Luke was looking out the window again moodily. "You should have seen what I used to get up to before. I've lost count of how many times I've nearly died in the past two years alone. It's amazing I've even reached age twenty." He sighed and slackened, sliding his back down the seat a little more.

Something about those words triggered a reaction within Vader. The ship landed with a thud and a rumble sounded beneath their bodies, and Vader hastened to shut it off before he did anything he'd regret. He forced himself not to touch his lightsaber as he descended as quickly as he could from the speeder, though his fingers were twitching towards his belt. Luke was close on his heel as always however, which made it very hard to keep calm. Anger was cutting through his thoughts, pasting a terrible memory over them. _He was sitting inside a round chamber with white walls, staring into nothingness, feeling emptier than he had ever felt before, wishing he could still shed tears because his son was dead…_

_No! Not this again!_

Vader growled and turned towards Luke, looming over him so that his shadow engulfed him completely. The boy stumbled slightly before stopping, staring right back at him with those blue eyes, _his eyes_ …

"No!" Vader snarled, realising only a moment later that he had done so out loud. Luke's gaze was wary, but far from afraid. He didn't feel like pondering what the look in his son's eyes meant. "Never say that again! You… you're not going to die. I won't allow it."

It was his greatest secret, and he was ashamed of it. In a different situation, he thought Luke might have smiled that knowing smile of his, like whenever he thought he could catch a glimpse of the man who had fathered him inside the shell of Darth Vader. It was foolishness of course, because there simply was nothing there. Nothing more to see. No warm, familiar presence within that cold empty soul. Yet every time he stared down at that face he could see a little of himself, and a little of _her_ … And it was agony.

But also joy. That was what Vader was truly afraid of.

The wind from outside cut through the space between them, rushing in from the still open hangar door, and Luke lifted his prosthetic hand to brush his bangs out of his eyes. He then seemed to hesitate, but after a moment the hand travelled across that dark empty space and came to rest a little higher, upon Vader's own shoulder. Mimicking that single touch of affection that Vader sometimes allowed himself to show.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "Sorry for being such a hassle, and for disobeying, and… well, y'know…" He trailed off for a moment and his gaze fell from the black mask of his father. Vader was still as a statue, the gritty sound of his breathing apparatus the only sign he was still alive. Luke's eyelashes fluttered shut and he suddenly smiled before looking back up. "But if I'm anything like my _father_ was, I think you can understand. Somehow?"

Vader clenched his jaw behind the mask, refusing to give himself to any of the emotions currently threatening to grip him. "Perhaps I can," he finally said quietly as he took a step back so that the hand on his shoulder slipped from its position. And before Luke could do anything more than grin, he added; "I have but one more question regarding today's events."

"Okay." Luke nodded, apparently back to his usual aggravatingly cheerful mood.

"Your reaction when I disposed of the commissioner was… unusual. In fact, you appeared to have no reaction whatsoever. Why is that?"

Almost at once, Luke's face darkened. "That guy, Tapley, he deserved it."

"Did he?" Vader asked softly, interested now.

After a long pause, Luke answered through his teeth. "Yes."

Vader could tell it pained him to say so, but it was satisfying to hear it from his own mouth – the boy was finally succumbing to this part of the dark side's appeal. Seeking revenge was a fundamental part of a Sith's existence. For the second time that day, Vader smiled behind his mask.

"I think you are ready." He said calmly, taking a few more steps back, towards the turbolift at the far end of the room.

"For what?" Luke asked.

"Come Luke," Vader called out as he walked. "It's time to pay a little visit to our guest."

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The cell was dark, cold and rather filthy, but Boba Fett was sitting quite calmly in one of its corners, staring into space and leaning against the stone wall. He immediately stood and looked up when the door opened, as it would be most unbecoming to appear weak in front of a Dark Lord of the Sith. If he died today, he'd face it standing up proudly, not cowering in the corner of a cool, damp cell.

The outline of Darth Vader appeared first in the doorway, a mere black form silhouetted against the harsh light from the cell block hallway. The hissing sound of his breath filled the air, a fearsome sound to most beings, but Boba Fett remained calm. As the Sith stepped into the cell, a smaller, thinner black form appeared in his wake for a brief moment, before it slid back behind its master like an obedient shadow.

Luke Skywalker blended so well into the darkness that Boba Fett might have missed him if he hadn't been expecting to see him there. He smirked, watching as the door closed behind the two men. His eyes quickly readjusted to the loss of the bright light from outside the cell and now he could make out the shapes and grooves of Vader's mask. The blond boy was still partly hidden behind the immense cloaked figure however.

Boba let a few moments of silence pass, and then bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. "Lord Vader."

"Boba Fett," Vader replied at once, his deep voice rattling Boba to the core in the small space. "We have important business to discuss."

"Indeed we do." Boba answered, forever a man of few words. He was waiting to see what Vader would say first.

Fortunately, Vader liked to get to business as soon as he entered a room, and that was exactly what he did. "My apprentice came to me with some disturbing news. I think you have some explaining to do."

Boba narrowed his eyes, thinking fast. If Skywalker had told his master what Boba knew, how in all hells was the kid still alive? Either he'd lied to Vader, or Vader wasn't quite prepared to believe it until he heard both sides of the story. Either way…

"Then you know who this boy is? The son of a _Jedi_." Boba couldn't help but spit that word out. It was a foul word to him, and always would be. Besides, he knew Vader agreed with his view on those Force users. He and Vader had always had a lot in common when it came down to it. The problem was that they were both equally hard-headed.

"Indeed. However it was not so much the information itself that surprised me, but the fact that you have acquired this knowledge."

Stunned for a moment, Boba snarled back; "Then you _know_ what this boy is? Who his father was?"

"I believe I have already made that clear, bounty hunter." Vader said in a cool tone of voice. "It is of no concern. The boy is loyal to _me_ and always will be."

"How can you trust him, a _Jedi_? He's surely part of the rebellion."

"He never belonged to the rebellion." Vader said smoothly, though Boba knew his notoriously fragile temper must be on the verge of blowing.

Falling silent, Boba smirked, understanding what this meant. He'd fallen into a trap. "I see."

Vader paced around the room and stopped on the other side. His apprentice remained in the same spot, standing in the shadows of one of the corners. It was impossible to tell where he was looking, but Boba could only just make out the basic features of his face…

"And now, Fett," Vader said, and Boba snapped his attention back to him. "You will tell me exactly _how_ you obtained this information."

"I don't reveal my sources." Boba answered firmly, trying to sound braver than he felt. Few things frightened him in this galaxy, but an angry Darth Vader was one of them.

"That's a pity. I wouldn't want to have to kill you."

"Who're you trying to kid? We both know you're going to kill me either way."

"Not necessarily." Vader said quietly. "We've worked together many times before, Fett. I must admit that I've grown to respect you and your work. The information you hold is vital to me. You need not die if you can prove to me that you will keep it to yourself."

"And how would I do that?"

"That is for you to tell me. I do not often offer people second chances, bounty hunter, and I'm sure you are aware of this. I can offer you everything you want."

Boba fell silent again, but kept staring at the Sith Lord. _Everything he wanted_ did sound nice. But unfortunately, Boba had no intentions of settling down, in any sense of the term. What Boba craved couldn't be found in any offer of Vader's. It could only be found in the cockpit of _Slave I_ , in pursuit of his prey, with the knowledge that he was free man.

No, he could never accept such an offer, not matter from whom it came. The mere fact that he'd left his wife and daughter to pursue his true ambitions and adventures had already proven that. He could never call himself Jango's son if he accepted to do exactly what all the other foolish, worthless clones had done and join the military. He’d never have to worry about money again, but when had it ever been about the money, really?

"Never," he said firmly. "I'm a free man."

"You are a foolish man." Vader corrected, taking a step forward so that he was uncomfortably close to Boba.

"But a free one nonetheless." Boba stood his ground. "I'll never tell you how I got that information and you'll never find out anyway."

There was a lengthy, stiff silence. A brief hitch occurred in Vader's breathing pattern, followed by what could have been a chuckle. Whatever it was, Boba was unable to repress a shudder. A feeling of foreboding overcame him, and even before Vader spoke the words, he knew what was about to happen. He's come so close to dying so many times before that he knew the feeling so well… It was almost depressing how quickly he could recognize the fact that he was staring death in the face.

In this case, death came in the form of a masked Sith Lord.

_Well, dad, I hope I managed to make you proud_ , he thought as he let out a soft sigh.

Vader took a few steps back, towards the door, and turned his back on Boba. To his immense surprise, the Sith looked down at his apprentice and said; "You know what to do." Boba thought he saw Skywalker nod, and then Vader left the room swiftly.

Boba's mouth fell agape as the young man stepped out of the shadowy corner and advanced on him. Falling into a slight defensive stance, even though he knew it was no use, Boba smirked. "What're _you_ gonna do?"

"Obey my master." Skywalker said, and Boba was slightly sickened by the look on his face. It was so eerie…

"How can you do that? Obey someone so implicitly? And why does he trust you, when your father was Anakin Skywalker?" Boba spat back, determined not to let this _boy_ frighten him. He may be a Sith apprentice, but Boba Fett was no coward.

After a moment, Skywalker's eyes seemed to glow with some distantly buried emotion. It took a second for Boba to recognize it as sadness.

"I obey Vader because he is my father," Skywalker said slowly. "He is Anakin Skywalker."

"You're lying!" Boba said, shocked. How could the Sith Lord everybody feared so much, the man Boba had also grown to somewhat begrudgingly respect, be the same naïve, young Anakin Skywalker from the Clone Wars? He wasn't, that was the simple answer. Something had happened to him, had _changed him_. "Why are you telling me this?" He asked more calmly.

"Because I wanted to see the look on your face when you realised that this situation is very much your fault. I suppose you got my name through the Alliance? But if you'd bothered to do a little more research before jumping into this trap, you might have lived. However, you tried to capture my best friend Han Solo, and for that, I'm not ready to forgive you." Skywalker stepped closer, and Boba's blank mind struggled to make sense of it all.

His brain was reeling. Which side was this guy on?

"It doesn't matter," Skywalker said, giving Boba the impression that he'd read his thoughts. "None of this matters because you're about to die."

Boba's eyes widened and he watched helplessly as Skywalker lifted his arm and rested his hand in the air at neck-height. Their eyes met and Boba tried to find some kind of emotion in those blue ones. There was none. However, that eerie smile was back, and a new, worse shiver ran up Boba's spine. He thought of running, but there was nowhere to go. The Sith apprentice's fingers curled around immaterial air and, at the same moment, Boba's airway closed.

He struggled against the Force to draw breath, and found it painful, like being underwater and desperately needing to draw breath. His lungs were on fire, and seemed to be shrinking within his ribcage as his heart thrummed against his insides, feeling very much like it was being squeezed by a very powerful hand. His brain hurt now and he found it difficult to string two coherent thoughts together.

He was vaguely aware that he was coughing and rasping and making all sorts of disgraceful sounds, but the otherwise silence of the cell was still present. His eyes snapped back to Skywalker's face and he saw that he was truly smiling now; a twisted smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

His vision blurred and his eyes were watering. Only one thought occupied his mind now; for this to be over. The feeling was agony now and he welcomed blissful oblivion. He recalled the faces of his wife and daughter with an ache in his heart and felt like he would smile as he thought of his father.

Wherever he was going, Jango would be there too.

His face came into contact with the hard, cold floor, and then his mind was blissfully blank.

His body seemed to be floating, and then he was gone.

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	27. Chapter 27

Once again, Luke slept very badly that night. He'd wanted to kill Boba Fett, a fact that tore at his insides rather more violently than anything else had in the past. He'd wanted to kill him so badly, but he had been somewhat disappointed when the deed was finally done. The blindingly exciting rush of the dark side had been there as always, filling him completely, giving him a taste of true power, but it still had not filled that emptiness he felt inside. It never would, he knew, but every time he found himself wishing that it could.

Vader had left the building it seemed after that, for Luke had not found him anywhere. Nat had not been in any of the hangars either, so he supposed the pilot must have returned to her home, wherever that was. With nothing else to do, Luke had walked dejectedly back to his assigned quarters, where he'd found Artoo and Threepio waiting for him. Not in the mood for recounting the events of his day, he'd told Threepio to quiet down and had fallen back onto his bed.

Vaguely he'd entertained the idea of watching the holos of his parents again, but the darkness inside him made him feel sick at the thought. How could he dare to watch those tapes again, when he had committed such heinous crimes? The memory of his parents before Anakin's fall to the dark side was too pure. Luke was no longer that. He thought again of Boba Fett, and huffed. He should be feeling remorseful right about now, but nothing came. He was completely numb to those feelings now.

_But still aware of them_ , he thought. That was the difference between him and his father. He hoped.

The night went by very slowly, with Luke staring out the window mostly, or blankly sitting on the couch with the holovid on, though he wasn't at all in the mood for watching it.

He remembered his first few encounters with Vader, and smirked. He’d gone from being under heavy guard in a locked cell, when now he was free to roam the castle, and Vader had not chastised him for exploring Imperial City alone. It seemed they had come to an understanding now… but they still didn't have any sort of conventional father-son relationship. They probably never would have that. Luke knew he must accept this, but it was still very discouraging. The whole reason he was even here right now was because he believed his father could be redeemed. But that was looking more and more impossible as time slipped by. In all the time he’d been with his father now, he hadn't caught more than a few glimpses of Anakin Skywalker within Vader.

The sun was rising when he finally managed to fall asleep fully clothed on top of the covers, with darkness still raging like a storm in his soul.

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He was aware of someone else in the room, but he merely groaned and rolled over to face the other way. Strong hands grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back.

A hissing breath, then; "Get up."

Luke flailed an arm in direction of the disturbance, mumbling incoherently.

"Get up, Luke. You've been summoned by the Emperor."

Luke sat up at this, but he wasn't less grumpy. "What for? And what time is it anyway?" He shielded his face from the sunlight with his arms and squinted up at the tall form of his father.

"It is already well past fourteen-hundred, son. Why are you still sleeping at this hour?"

"I didn't sleep all night, that's why." Luke said angrily as he got up and looked around for some clean clothes. There was a pile of them on a nearby dresser. His father was silent but Luke could sense the question, so he added, "Murder still makes some of us feel restless you know."

Vader made a strange sound like clearing his throat and advanced towards him. "You had better take a shower before we leave for the palace."

"I'd like a shower," Luke admitted slowly, "but if the Emperor's expecting me…"

"You are already late anyway. Now hurry." Vader stated, and Luke shrugged before locking himself in the 'fresher. The dark robes he'd taken from the dresser were exactly the same as the dirty ones he’d been wearing he noticed. When he went back to the main room Vader was still standing there, looking very much out of place amidst all the furniture. Biting back a comment, Luke followed him out of the door.

As they walked to the hangar, Vader was unexpectedly talkative. "Here, take this Luke," he said, handing him a gold-plated card. Frowning, Luke looked down at it, reading its inscriptions.

And his mouth fell open.

It was issued to the name 'Darth Vader', with a long security number and an expiration date – a credit card. Luke had never been wealthy in his life, never carrying more than a handful of credits; he'd never really had much need for money. But he knew for sure that a credit card with Darth Vader's name on it was sure to give him access to, well, an inestimable amount of credits. He blinked a few times before looking back up at his father.

"I understand you will have to leave the castle whenever you need food. This should pay for any expenses," Vader said slowly. "However, keep in mind that it is one of _my_ cards and I will be watching the numbers."

"You don't have anything to worry about," Luke assured him quickly.

"If I was worried," Vader said, "I would not be giving it to you."

"Fair enough," Luke grinned. "So what's the passcode for it?"

His father was silent for a long time, but finally he answered; "28419."

He then fell silent and Luke eyes him carefully. He recognised those numbers of course – his birthday. The 28th day of the 4th month of 19 BBY. After a few moments, Vader added, "The card was created after the battle of Yavin. I… thought you were dead and…"

Luke understood. Vader had never thought his son would find out he had used his birthday as a password, but now he was embarrassed about it. Darth Vader was actually embarrassed? Luke smiled again. "It's ok. And thanks." They then both fell silent for good and climbed into a speeder together.

Luke's stomach rumbled at him during the entire silent trip to the Imperial Palace, but he did not say anything about it to his father. Judging from what he knew about Palpatine and his goal to 'win him over', he suspected he'd soon be offered a meal. The Imperial Palace stood gloriously atop a large number of steps, bathed in the rich sunlight of the early afternoon, but still it looked rather sinister in Luke's opinion. He dropped out of the speeder and started to walk up and, to his surprise, his father caught up with him and fell into stride next to him.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked quietly, eyeing all the stormtroopers.

"I merely wish to observe, read his intentions…" Vader rumbled back. His voice came out quieter than Luke thought it possible to. He doubted anybody else had made out what he had said, and it was impossible to read on his lips in any case. So Luke gave a short nod and they walked up the rest of the many steps together in silence.

The lighting got progressively darker as they reached the top, and once they were inside, walking along the innermost corridors, it was entirely artificial. Two large, ceiling-high doors were guarded by red-hooded Royal Guards at the end of one particularly long corridor. The guards stepped aside and opened the doors as they approached, and Luke followed Vader inside. He slipped as always into his father's shadow, making a point of looking like he wished for nothing more than to disappear from the man's presence. It was easy to do in such a décor; the throne room was built to look impressive and made even the most hardened man feel slight.

The elderly Sith himself was seated in the deepest shadow of the room, framed by the web like structure of the viewport behind him, yet when his head moved within the many folds of his hood his eyes still managed to catch a bit of light, making them glint. Vader stopped a few paces from the stairs leading to the dais and easily sank to one knee. Luke followed suit, forcing his back to bend and crouching until his head was but a centimetre from his joined hands on the floor.

He remained in this position even as he felt Vader get up next to him, and Palpatine began to speak.

"Lord Vader," he croaked. "Welcome, welcome my friend. You are late – quite unlike you. Though I suspect it may have something to do with your apprentice. You may rise, young Luke." The Emperor sounded amused, and Luke hesitated a moment before getting up. He tried to force his eyes to keep looking at the floor, but something kept drawing them back to that partially hidden, sullen old face.

Vader spoke next to him; "There was an incident yesterday, Master."

"An incident?" The Emperor repeated, his voice unreadable.

"My apprentice was arrested for reckless driving." Vader told him, speaking as though Luke weren't even present. Unlike the Emperor's voice, Luke could feel the bite in it.

"Indeed?" The Emperor asked, suddenly leaning back in his throne. He actually sounded all the more amused at this news and he addressed Luke directly now. "I remember how you told me you enjoy flying. Perhaps you should ask Lord Vader to show you his speeder collection. Maybe that is yet another point in common you both share?"

Luke shot a positively frightened look at his father, but the latter remained impassive as he spoke; "The boy should be punished for this, not encouraged."

"Now, now, Lord Vader," Palpatine said calmly. "Piloting is evidently the boy's outlet. Let him have this mere distraction."

Dryly, Vader answered, "As you wish, Master." But there was an undercurrent of annoyance flaying from him. It was so powerful that Luke could hardly believe it was an act.

There was a long silence, but they both held their stance until the Emperor spoke again. "It was good of you to accompany your apprentice here Lord Vader, but I'm afraid I shall dismiss you now. Young Luke and I have some things to discuss."

If possible, Vader's tone of voice was even dryer when he replied; "I do not accompany him anywhere. The boy simply needs to be kept under surveillance."

"You are dismissed, Lord Vader." The Emperor repeated himself, and after another long silence, the black-clad Sith Lord bowed and left the room hurriedly. Luke shuffled into the space his father had just left so that he was standing facing the centre of the staircase. He then watched Palpatine descend the steps and disregard his cane as he had done last time, instead walking right past it towards a door to the side of the room.

Exactly like last time they crossed many chambers until they reached the long dining room. At once Luke's eyes snapped to the beautiful painting of Naboo and he felt better for a moment, more at ease. He waited for Palpatine to take a seat and for him to invite him to do the same before sinking into the same chair as the other day. Palpatine called for the two men to bring food again, and three large platters were deposited on the table.

"I can feel how hungry you are," Palpatine said slowly as he took the tops off the platters to reveal pieces of fruit, bread, eggs and cold meats. "I personally prefer breakfast food over any other," he admitted. "I hope you'll agree."

Luke nodded and gladly took the full plate the Emperor handed him. They ate in silence for a long time, giving Luke the impression that he was being evaluated. He most likely was, so he applied himself to keeping his straying thoughts in place. In fact, it was all much too silent.

Palpatine seemed very concentrated on his food, but Luke wasn't fooled. He could feel, for one of the first times, the dark side at work in the old man's presence. For the first time, he could feel the extent of the Sith Master's power.

Could Luke and Vader really overcome him?

Luke cleared his plate much faster than Palpatine, but he waited patiently. They made small talk about Luke’s training, and this time Luke was more than ready to answer the Emperor. It was getting less nerve-racking. And the radiantly green and blue portrait on the other side of the room kept catching his eye. He had to be very careful not to lose himself in it, lest he risk loosening his invisible mental shields.

Soon enough, Palpatine put his fork down and dabbed at his mouth with a small cloth. He then looked back to Luke. "Would you be interested in visiting the Palace Gardens?"

"Of course," Luke answered, although he was quite sure he had no choice in the matter. The Emperor called for the servants to come back and clean up the table while they left together for a turbolift. It was a silent and slightly uncomfortable ride down, and Luke did his utmost to avoid meeting the Emperor's gaze. Those ochre eyes reminded him somewhat of his father's own fiery ones, a fact that only made him feel all the more inadequate. He turned to catch his reflection in the polished surface of the elevator and looked deeply into his own blue eyes, wondering once again whether they would someday change to yellow or orange too.

The doors of the lift opened and Luke followed Palpatine outside. He'd caught a glance of the gardens from a balcony during the last banquet he had attended at the Palace, but seeing them from down here was much more impressive. There were many tall trees of every kind and, everywhere he looked, mounds of flowers. Once again he marvelled at their existence in such proximity of an evil old Sith Lord – much like he'd done regarding the painting of Naboo in the dining room. He simply did not expect to see these kinds of things here.

He shot a side-glance at the Emperor of the Galaxy, who was currently explaining something about a certain kind of tree, and smirked. This was probably part of the old man's plan of corrupting him against his father. Was he really trying to make himself appear more human?

Luke pretended he was interested in the type of flower the Emperor was now showing him, but it suddenly became very hard to do when a distraction came along in the form of a discreet red-haired girl. She appeared in the periphery of his vision and he turned slightly to watch her. But as soon as she noticed him looking, she disappeared quite effectively behind a bush. Luke blinked. If he hadn't been _sure_ she existed, he might have thought he'd imagined her. But, no, he could sense something…

"Mara!" The Emperor snapped, suddenly turning to look in direction of the bush too. The girl immediately revealed herself and came over to them. She treaded across the ground silently, in an almost cat-like manner. Her big emerald eyes were firmly fixed on Palpatine and completely ignored Luke's presence, but he couldn't keep himself from staring into them. He was captivated by her and it irked him in a very different way from anything else that irked him on this planet.

"What are you doing here?" The Emperor continued once she went still in front of them both. On the outside he sounded pleasantly interested, but there was a deeper undercurrent of anger there too. Luke thought he might have missed it if he wasn't already so good at reading his father.

The girl, Mara, kept her eyes firmly on Palpatine as she answered, but it felt like she was forcing herself not to look at Luke. "I came out for some fresh air, Master. Please excuse me if I interrupted any important business you have here." Her voice was still that same flawless coruscanti-accented drawl as last time. She sounded quite detached from each of her words, entirely disinterested.

"Not at all, Mara, not at all," Palpatine now said softly. "I was merely showing young Luke around." With that he placed a firm hand on Luke's shoulder, making him recoil interiorly. This was a gesture he associated with his father, and Palpatine's touch was inspiring some feelings Luke did not appreciate.

Mara's eyes shot to Luke's for a moment and they narrowed almost imperceptibly. She recognised him, he knew. He remembered her words last time; ' _You're Vader's new pet.'_

They both stared at each other for a long time until Palpatine spoke again. "But you two will have more time to get acquainted during the next Imperial Ball, I'm sure. Come along now, Luke," he stated as he pointedly looked at Mara. She gave a quick bow and slid away into the foliage.

The Emperor then proceeded to explain the history of certain parts of the Palace as they moved away from the Gardens, but Luke wasn't really listening. Something about that girl had him interested. His father had told him who she was; a dangerous assassin of Palpatine's, not to be trusted… All that familiar drabble. She certainly seemed dangerous, and she definitely didn't seem to like him very much. But Luke was sure there was more to her than that.

It seemed he had found a new distraction.

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Unfortunately, life on Coruscant didn't get easier or even more fun for Luke as the weeks went by. He didn't run into the ginger, Mara, again and suspected that she was doing her best to stay away from him. On top of that, he now attended daily training sessions with his father, which meant he usually had at least two or three new bruises or burnt cuts somewhere on his body. The only advantage this gave him was that he also regularly visited Harv in the medical centre.

The medic sometimes had interesting stories to tell, but it was mostly just good to see him.

He also hung out often with Nat, though he tried not to let Vader see them together. They had plans to go out into Imperial City together again soon but they couldn't do that until Nat was issued a new speeder by the Navy. Luke's little _accident_ had caused a staggering amount of paperwork and, even though she had assured him that it was no problem, he'd still felt quite guilty about it.

But even the prospect of admitting what he had done to Nat hadn't been as nerve-wracking as his next few meetings with the Emperor. Luke was truly doing his best to look like he was enjoying them, or at least like he trusted Palpatine, but it was still so hard to do. Damn, that Sith Emperor made his skin _crawl_.

Once again Luke reconsidered his position as he realised that he was currently juggling the only two Sith in the galaxy and that he'd sooner or later be expected to finish off one of them. How or when the opportunity would present itself he had no idea, but he hoped it was soon.

Or at least, he thought he should hope it was soon. He had no desire to face off against the Emperor, and he would never kill his own father. Between a rock and a hard place, Luke was stuck with nowhere to go. He could always leave Coruscant and everything else behind, but then where would he flee to? There was no way he'd ever convince Leia and Han to take him back, and with the Emperor looking for him he was sure he wouldn't last very long out there anyway.

And he couldn't leave his father.

The pondering of this whole affair had become a daily activity for Luke and, as much as he hated to admit it, increasingly worrisome. Furthermore, a recent occurrence had greatly disturbed him. He'd been sitting on the couch in his quarters when Vader had entered the room promptly. He always did that without knocking or even calling out to him first, and Luke always jumped when the doors opened.

Vader had then come to a stop between the couch and the holovid, staring down at Luke for several moments.

"What?" Luke had asked. "Did something happen?"

Silently, the Sith had fished a datapad from the inner folds of his cape and handed it to him. Startled, knowing this must be important, Luke had shut off the holovid and begun to read the datapad. It was a military report, from Piett on the Executor. The tracking of the _Millennium Falcon_ had been conclusive; the ship's signal coming from the tracking device had been traced to the Dagobah system.

Luke had stopped to reread the word on the screen. _Dagobah_.

He'd forced his face to remain calm and looked back up at his father. "Well?" Vader had then demanded darkly. "Does this information mean anything to you?"

This had been Luke's greatest dilemma: if the _Falcon_ was on Dagobah, whoever it was he had sensed that was Force-sensitive must have gone there to meet Master Yoda. What if it was one of his friends? Luke couldn't betray them like this, and he couldn't reveal Yoda's location to Vader in case he secretly dispatched people to go kill him. He certainly wouldn't put it past his father.

On the other hand, he had sworn to obey Vader and had promised that he would always be loyal to him. Keeping important information such as this would certainly be considered treacherous. Even if he lied, Vader was sure to find out sooner or later.

Eventually, as Vader's body language got more impatient, Luke had answered; "I think I heard Leia mention the planet once or twice. But I don't really know what they could be doing there. I don't think they've got a base there in any case."

It had been a gut-wrenching moment of silence until Vader nodded. "Very well," he'd then said calmly before leaving. There had been no further talk on the matter, so Luke considered it had been dismissed. However, he himself couldn't stop worrying over what this could mean. The Force-sensitive in the Alliance was training to become a Jedi, but they wouldn't be much of an opponent without a lightsaber, he reflected. This caused him to remember something his father had told him the first time they'd come to Coruscant; that he'd build his own lightsaber eventually.

But eventually would not be soon enough. Vader didn't even trust him to carry a practice lightsaber at all times yet, so forget owning his own one…

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It was four days before the next Imperial Ball, Empire Day, when Nat approached Luke with some great news that made him forget all about his worries regarding Palpatine and his anxiety about the new Force adept. Luke was in the hangar tending to a loose joint in Threepio's left arm when the TIE pilot came bursting in.

"Luke, guess what?" She said excitedly as she pushed a sheet of flimsy in Luke's hand. He looked down at it and frowned.

"This is a delivery form…" He read further down the page and saw what it was for. "No way! It's here?"

Nat nodded and began to pull him by the arm. "Yeah – come on!"

Apologising to Threepio, he finished up the joint he was currently working on and ran after Nat. As soon as they got outside it became apparent why Nat was so thrilled. A brand new electric blue speeder was parked on the landing pad. It was even cooler than the previous one had been, with a slick aerodynamic design, four seats and two beautiful fins on the back. "Wow," he said, impressed. "I can't believe they gave you this for crashing the last one!"

"Yeah, I would have let you crash it sooner if I'd known I'd get a better one."

"I guess I don't have to feel so bad about it anymore then." Luke smirked and got in the passenger side just as Nat took the pilot seat.

She snorted. "I told you already! Don't beat yourself up about it; the CSF are a bunch of stuck up idiots." With a chuckle at Luke's expression, she then pulled on the controls. "Let's take her out for a spin then shall we? Just no bar fights this time, ok?" She waited for Luke to nod, then turned the speeder on. It growled to life and sprang into the late afternoon air like a cat, but just as gracefully and smoothly as it was expected from a high-quality speeder.

It flew beautifully and, if Nat was to be believed, it really felt alive. She promised Luke to let him try it out next time.

"So, where do you want to go?" She asked as they reached a less crowded area and descended into the lower levels.

Luke didn't know much about their current surroundings, but he did have one idea. "Do you play sabbac?" He asked.

"Do I ever!" Nat exclaimed, turning her head to look at him. "I didn't know you were into that! C'mon, I know a great place actually…" She swerved out of the skylane and changed direction, heading for a further part of the city Luke hadn't been in yet. The buildings got progressively less expensive-looking as they descended and it got darker, as though night were falling much faster than it would naturally. The lighting was all neon down here, giving the Coruscant Underworld that distinctive seedy look.

Luke was sitting on the edge of his seat as he attempted to look around at everything. It was impossible; every way he turned there was something interesting to see. It was strange, but he'd always feel more at home in places like these than in an Imperial Palace or even at his father's Castle. Just as long as he didn't let it slip in front of his father.

Nat parked the speeder down near a large, flashy cantina called _Golden Gambit_. There was a small crowd of twi'leks in front of the building and, as Luke and Nat walked past, Luke caught a whiff of what they were smoking. It was hard not to when there was so much smoke in the air. He immediately began to cough as the screen of smoke stung at his eyes and burned his throat. He got a few weird looks from the twi'leks, who then turned away laughing.

"What _is_ that stuff they're smoking?" Luke asked once they were out of earshot. "Didn't smell like anything I've ever smelled before."

With an angry sort of huff, Nat answered; "Nyriaan spice. Nasty stuff – you don't want to get mixed up with it."

"Why not?"

" _Why not?_ Kriff, Luke, I thought you were smart. What would you-know-who do to you if you started taking spice, for starters? And, well, it's just a dangerous substance to be honest. It changes you…"

"Okay, I'm sorry. Just forget it." Luke said quickly, sensing there must be a deeper reason for Nat to dislike spice so much. But he knew better than to ask. "So, what is this place?" He asked instead as they entered the cantina.

Nat perked up, the previous subject of discussion apparently forgotten. "The _Golden Gambit_ is a pretty renowned cantina in this part of Coruscant. Practically every night there's a sabbac tournament or some other event going on. This is the part of town I grew up in, so I know it well enough." She steered them towards the back of the place, and looked around with her hands on her hips. "And I think I just spotted – Ah, yes, I can see one of my friends now."

Luke glanced over to where she was looking and saw a table full of people already playing sabbac. Nat leaned in and said very quietly; "These guys don't know I'm an Imp, though. They're people I know from when I used to live here. So we'd better not mention anything to do with you-know-who or you-know-what, alright?"

"Got it," Luke said with a grin. He already felt glad to be allowed a chance to step back from his persona as 'Vader's Shadow'. So he followed Nat to the small booth where the sabbac game was being played and watched from behind her as she tapped on the shoulder of a rather short brunette with blue eyes. The latter looked very focused on her cards, and glanced up at Nat with a mildly annoyed look before gaping.

"Nat! It's been a heck of a long time since I've seen you around!" She made sure her cards were well hidden from the others beside her – two humans and a twi'lek – before rising from her seat to hug her quickly. The TIE pilot had a silly grin on her face which she seemed to be trying to force down.

"I know, I'm sorry, I was just so busy! How have you been holding up?"

"Oh you know me, just barely scraping by!" The girl answered with a giggle. Her eyes then shot to Luke's and she smiled. "A friend of yours?"

Luke returned her smile, always glad to meet people who weren't instantly afraid of him. Next to him, Nat nodded. "Yeah – this is Luke. Luke, meet Kimmi Chyler. She's the best swoop racer around, and one hell of a sabbac player!"

"Pleased to meet you," Luke said quickly. "You're a swoop racer?" He then asked excitedly; swoop racing had been quite popular on Tatooine, after Podracing of course.

"Luke's an excellent pilot." Nat explained with a grin.

Kimmi shot Luke a wink; "Is that so? We'll have to race sometime then –"

"Oy!" The twi'lek at the table said irritably. "Are we playin' sabbac or not?"

At this, Kimmi overturned her cards, revealing a perfect +23. When all her card partners remained silent, she scraped the winnings from off of the table. The twi'lek tried to stop her. "Oh shut it Tark'o," she snapped at him before moving away from the table. "I'm done here. And I'm supposed to be meeting Dash in a while," she glanced at Nat briefly. "So I can't stay much longer but we can hang out here for a while if you want?"

"Sure, sure…" Nat said, apparently still distracted by Kimmi's winning move. She winked at Luke again, then led them both towards one of the back rooms. They chose a bunk and Nat proceeded to order a round of drinks. Luke commented that it was pretty early for that, which made Kimmi giggle. It was all she seemed to do, but it suited her and her bubbly sort of personality. Her hair was arranged into a messy ponytail from which bangs of all lengths escaped to frame her heart-shaped face, and her eyes were very expressive and attentive.

Right now her attention was on Luke and he knew what the looks she was giving him meant. He'd never been the womaniser or the one to get all the female attention – that role had always been reserved for people like Han and Wedge. But during the years between Yavin and Bespin, Luke had had to calmly let down a few pilots who had clearly been interested. As Darth Vader's son, he didn't think dating was really an option for him. It wasn't that _he_ was afraid of what his father's reaction might be or something, but he was well aware that nobody in their right mind would go after him once they knew who he was…

Not to mention that right now most of his life was supposed to be kept secret. Nobody was even allowed to know Vader was his father. And besides, he was supposed to be taking on the role of a heartless Sith in order to impress the Emperor. He doubted dating would be considered 'Sith-like', as his father liked to say.

So he just concentrated on his beer and observed Nat and Kimmi. They were busy catching up right now anyway. He knew Nat had an interest in women, but they just seemed like really good friends.

Luke then took his time scanning the bar area and the surrounding booths slowly, just to make sure they were all devoid of bounty hunters.

His attention was brought back to his own booth by Nat, who lightly tapped his shoulder.

"Hey," the pilot said with a grin, "I doubt Boba Fett is going to jump you in this cantina. It's much too upper class."

Before Luke could do anything more than smirk in return, Kimmi interjected; "Boba Fett? You two know him?"

"Yeah…" Nat said dismissively. "Say, whatever happened to that guy Luke?"

"Oh… Gave us the slip." Luke answered vaguely, shooting Nat a significant look he hoped would be interpreted as 'shut up'. He was glad when Nat let the subject drop but, to his dismay, Kimmi still looked very interested. "Um… So where are you from, Kimmi?" He asked quickly, leaning forward to better position his arms on the tabletop.

"Corellia," she said with a smile. "It's been so long since I've been there though… I guess my accent is all gone."

"No, no, now that you say so, I can actually hear it there somewhere…" Luke smiled, "I used to know a Corellian smuggler. He was a good friend of mine."

"I'd like to meet a Corellian who isn't a smuggler or an outlaw." Nat said, chuckling. She then shuffled away from Kimmi, scowling, and massaged the spot where an elbow had just collided with her ribcage.

"Whoops!" Kimmi giggled with a small hint of sarcasm, then looked back at Luke. "One of my old friends from Corellia is a smuggler, too. Last time I saw him he'd just won off this junk pile of a ship in a game of sabbac – claimed it was the fastest ship in the galaxy! Well, every Corellian you meet owns the fastest ship in the galaxy mind you..." She took a sip of her beer thoughtfully before adding; "Incidentally, my swoop is the fastest ever!"

Luke hesitated, but then decided it was worth it; he just had to know. "That junk pile of a ship… It wouldn't happen to be called the _Millennium Falcon_ , would it?"

He jumped when Kimmi slammed her hand down on the table and bounced in her seat. "Yes! You know Han Solo? Kind of a loose canon, hangs out with a wookiee?"

"That's the one," Luke said with a grin.

"So you know him! What's he up to these days? Sith, I haven't seen him in _forever_."

Again, Luke hesitating, shooting a glance at Nat. The TIE pilot seemed a little amused by their conversation, but her face had also faltered at the word 'Sith'. Finally, Luke cleared his throat. "It's been a while since I've seen him, um… I used to be a smuggler too but I'm on a vacation of sorts right now," he quickly invented. "But he's doing fine. He still has the _Falcon_ , he's on the Galaxy's Most Wanted list, and he fell in love and ran off with a Princess." All this was as close to the truth as he could really tell anybody he supposed, and Kimmi burst out laughing.

"That sounds just like him! It always was one of his ambitions to be one of the Galaxy's Most Wanted." She looked over at Nat now, "Gee Nat, where did you find this guy?"

"I told you – he's a good pilot. Good pilots know good pilots." Nat answered calmly.

"Never heard anything truer in my entire life," Kimmi said, before finishing her beer. "Well then, Luke, now we've _really_ gotta race sometime."

Following suit, Luke grinned. "I'd take you on right now if I had a swoop!"

Just as Kimmi leant back in her seat slowly, her grin spreading, Luke heard Nat mutter 'Now you've done it.' She considered them both for a moment, then asked; "You're serious about this? I'm here with my team. I'm sure I can convince one of the guys to lend his to ya."

Nat shook her head. "Luke, think this through. You're just going to get arrested again…"

"Again?" Kimmi asked, her eyes widening in time with her already huge grin.

Luke smirked. "I got arrested for reckless driving a while back. Doesn't matter. Let's go." He started walking towards the back door with Kimmi, who was laughing again, but Nat caught up with him and grabbed him by the arm.

"Kimmi's a really good pilot Luke, just thought I'd warn you…"

"Don't worry! If there's one thing I can do right in my life, it's race," Luke assured her. His friend didn't look too convinced but followed them outside anyway. They were in a sort of back-alley and at once Luke spotted a group of rowdy-looking men all standing around a bunch of swoops. Some of them were smoking what smelled like the same kind of spice as the twi'leks had been using up front the cantina.

"There y'are Kim," one of the men said, spotting them. "Win anythin' at sabbac?"

"You betcha!" She answered merrily before turning in order to present Nat and Luke, who'd been trailing behind her. "This is Natali Krimbar, an old friend from when I lived on Coruscant for a while. And this here's her friend Luke – he challenged me to a race!"

"Did'ja now?" The man asked, grinning as he looked Luke over. His accent sounded like his mother tongue was Huttese, or something just as crude. "You look kinda scrawny buddy. Sorry to break it to ya, but Kimmi's probably the best racer on this team."

"I think I can take her," Luke grinned back, and cracked his knuckles. The man gave a great belly-laugh.

"That's the spirit, that's the spirit… Tell ya what then, I'll let ya borrow me swoop." He cocked his head to the side, motioning to one of the vehicles. "If," he added, "you'll care ta wager a little somethin'."

A moment passed and Luke hesitated, glancing briefly at Nat. "I don't have anything."

"Ya gotta 'ave _somethin'_ valuable!"

"Nothing but my clothes and my – well…" He hesitated again, but then brought out Boba Fett's WESTAR-34 blaster pistol, which he'd been carrying around with him nearly everywhere he went ever since the CSF incident. It was a compact, silver weapon made from Dallorian alloy with a very long muzzle. Luke hadn't had the chance to use it yet (which was probably a good thing), but he'd checked it and there were fourteen of the twenty shots still inside. He also didn't know how much it was worth, but it looked customized, a feature that undoubtedly made it much more valuable.

Indeed, both Kimmi and her teammate looked very interested in it. "Lemme see that…" The man asked and, after making sure the safety was on, Luke handed it to him. "That there's impressive, that is," the man said after a few moments. Then he whistled before giving it back. "You gotta deal! Let's make this interestin' then – if you win, which I doubt, you keep the swoop."

Kimmi gasped, in time with all her other teammates who had formed a small crowd around them to watch. "No way, Krew!" Kimmi said. "How will you race next week then?"

"Buy a new one. We're not exactly poor eh? I gotta 'ave that blaster for me collection. Besides, ain't no chance on Hoth he'll win." The man, Krew, sounded really confident, which only enticed Luke further. Krew held out his hand suddenly and without hesitating, Luke shook it.

As soon as that was done, Kimmi slapped her hands together excitedly. "Alright! Ready to race?"

Luke nodded and watched her mount her swoop, while Krew brought over his own. Beside him, Nat was shaking her head. "You're insane, Luke. _Insane_. I've seen Kimmi race –"

"Stop worrying," Luke hissed back so no one could hear. "I don't care about the blaster, and I don't care about winning. I just… I need this, okay?" Nat gave him a strange, sad look, but it seemed like she understood and she backed away to let Luke get on the swoop. Once he was seated and he'd adjusted the racing goggles he'd just been handed by another one of Kimmi's teammates, Krew started to ask if he needed him to explain the controls.

In response, Luke flipped on the ignition and made the engine roar. Krew jumped back in surprise and everyone else laughed.

Over the sound of their grumbling swoop bikes, Kimmi shouted; "First one to reach the gates to Imperial City district and come back right here wins!"

"Sounds good!" Luke shouted back at her and she grinned as she lowered her own goggles over her face, taking a moment to tighten her messy ponytail. Behind them, Krew approached.

"Ready, set… Off you GO!" He shouted, and they rose simultaneously from the alley into the sky. Luke loved the feel of the swoop bike, a murky green Flare-S model. In many ways he was reminded of his old skyhopper, just with better controls. As he rushed through the air he let his mind calm, and the wind drowned all sound from his ears. In his mind he imagined the jagged sides of Beggar's Canyon on Tatooine instead of the many buildings he had to dodge. It was all the same.

The Force guided him, releasing him from all thought.

It felt good just to _feel_.

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	28. Chapter 28

He swerved in between buildings, the wind through his hair, his hands tightly gripping the handles of the swoop. Avoiding speeders and skyscrapers was easy – keeping an eye on Kimmi's position was not. Luke had to admit she _was_ good. Very good. They both zigzagged through traffic and buildings with ease. However – he allowed himself to feel a certain amount of pride and smugness– she had nothing on him. Besides, she knew this city much better than he did. All he had to do was tail her from up close until they reached the halfway point, the Imperial City gates, and he was golden.

Luke had a very good sense of direction. He wouldn't get lost; that he knew.

But what was surprising was that no CSF vehicles had come after them yet. True, they were in the lowest levels, much, much lower than Luke had been when he was arrested, but… He'd figured Coruscant would be much stricter than this, being the Imperial Center and all. In fact they encountered no police at all.

Several metres in front of Luke, Kimmi brought her swoop around in a tight loop, almost crashing into a pillar. For one gut-wrenching moment, Luke was sure she had. But then he realised it had been a feint.

Indeed, she was good.

Accelerating, Luke mimicked her and swerved around the main gate to Imperial City. He turned just in time to see her swoop disappear into a tunnel. Grinning, he readjusted his position and gripped the controls firmly. Time to get serious.

He ignored the tunnel Kimmi had chosen to take and sped down a long, mostly abandoned stretch of street. There was a large wooden gate at the end of it, but Luke easily jumped over it with the help of a large dumpster. By this point however he'd lost sense of where Kimmi could be and he couldn't make out the end of that tunnel she had taken either. It took several more minutes before he started to get suspicious, and finally called upon the Force. Concentrating, he tried to make sense of his rushing surroundings. Speeders, cantinas, the acrid smell of spice and the loud buzz of many different languages being spoken at once all clouded his inner mind's vision for a moment until, suddenly… Another swoop appeared clearly in his mind.

Easily, he located it and smiled. He was winning. He then turned his attention to the back alley of the _Golden Gambit_ , where he could feel Nat and Kimmi's friends waiting for them. Their presences were rapidly approaching and he had a lock on them already, so he relaxed his mind and concentrated on piloting. Thinking back to all the times he'd raced as a child on Tatooine, he realised this was exactly what he'd been doing back then, too. Using the Force to analyse his surroundings, to anticipate upcoming obstacles; it had always come naturally to him. Only now that he knew _how_ he was doing it did he understand that it wasn't normal. Not all pilots could do it.

He was torn away from these thoughts as he emerged into the back alley and slammed on the brakes, coming to a perfect stop right in front of Krew. Luke turned off the swoop's engine and looked around happily. Kimmi was nowhere to be seen.

However it had been close, and no more than ten seconds later, Kimmi's swoop came rushing into the alley and made a brake nearly side-by-side with his. Luke grinned at her as she dismounted her swoop. She stared blankly at him for a few moments, but finally extended her hand.

"Good race!"

He shook her hand after jumping off his own borrowed swoop. Krew, he noticed, immediately took it back. "Yeah, good race," Luke agreed. "You're an incredible pilot."

"Says the guy who just beat me," Kimmi said jokingly, though there was a distinct bite to her voice. Knowing from experience how sore a loser Corellians could be, Luke chose not to answer that. Instead, he turned to look at Krew, who seemed to be saying a silent last goodbye to his vehicle.

"Well," the large swoop racer said slowly. "Ye've earned it. I… can't believe ya actually beat Kimmi." He then made to push the swoop back towards Luke.

But Luke had to shake his head. "I can't accept. All I wanted to do was race. And I can't exactly afford the fuel and whatnot…" This was a lie of course, considering all the money he now had access to thanks to his father's spare credit card. The main reason he was refusing to take the swoop was because of what Vader would do to him if he ever found out about this whole situation. Inexplicably obtaining a swoop vehicle wasn't something he could easily hide from his father.

Krew looked surprised, but relieved. "Ya sure 'bout this?"

"Definitely," Luke assured him. "And you know what? It was fun, so here, take this." He unhooked Boba Fett's blaster and pushed it into Krew's large hands. "I have much better weapons; I don't need this one really." That too was a lie, but he supposed he might be allowed to have a lightsaber soon enough. He hoped, anyway.

Again, Krew looked very surprised. "I… really?"

"I insist," Luke said. "You're a collector right? Then, take it."

After a few moments of staring at the blaster, Krew grinned. "Yer all right, Kid!" He laughed and slapped Luke on the back, knocking the wind out of him in the process. "Listen, I'm sure Kimmi was about ta invite ya, but here, free a' charge," he fished a ticket out of his pocket and handed it to him. "Come see our next big race. S'on Empire Day before the celebrations."

Not wanting to disappoint Kimmi, Krew and their teammates, Luke smiled. "Thanks. I'll… I'll try to make it."

"Good one!" Kimmi was grinning now, her defeat apparently forgotten. "Hope to see you there! Well it's been fun but I really have to go or Dash will be worried about me. See you around, Nat!" Nat nodded and high-fived her back, and then all the swoop racers rode off out of the alley, leaving only silence, a cloud of dust and the lingering smell of spice in the air.

Luke turned to Nat with a smug look. "See? Everything went fine!"

"Yeah? Well you got lucky. I reckon this must have been Kimmi's first defeat in years." She sounded a little annoyed.

"Are you okay? Look, sorry, I mean –"

"No, it's not you Luke. Just… Kimmi and I have been friends for a long time and I used to think, y'know… But I never got around to asking her out. And then Dash Rendar came along…" They walked back around the _Golden Gambit_ back to their speeder and Luke frowned a little.

"That guy she left to go meet? Who is he, the name sounds familiar."

They climbed into the speeder and Nat turned it on with a sigh. "Another Corellian. Gun slinging type of guy."

"Must've heard about him from Han…" Luke reflected quietly. "So she's with him?"

"Not exactly," Nat smirked.

"Then ask her out." Luke supplied.

Nat was silent a moment as she changed lanes to a higher one. "I get the feeling she probably suspects… But it’s not that easy. I don’t think she’s… Anyway it doesn’t matter. Didn't you see the way she was looking at you tonight? I was practically invisible."

Luke fell silent then too, a little annoyed. It seemed absurd that Nat didn't care about him murdering people, but rather was afraid that he might steal away the girl she liked. "Look, Nat, I'm not interesting in Kimmi if that's what you're worried about. I…" He paused, unsure of whether or not he actually wanted to say what he was about to say. "I'm a Sith. You must know that."

They were in the highest skylanes now, flying high above the luminescent Imperial City. Nat was smirking. "You're not a Sith, Luke. You're not like Lord Vader at all."

Luke could find no suitable answer to that, so he looked out the window and fell silent for good. _I'm more like him than you'll ever know_ , he thought instead.

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Far away across the galaxy, it was humid as always on Dagobah. Han Solo was currently sitting shirtless on a large rock in front of the swamp with his eyes closed, confident that he might be able to catch a breeze. This seemingly pointless endeavour was however much more productive than trying to meditate. He'd given up on _that_ shortly after arriving on this sithspawn of a planet, and wasn't about to take it up again.

Yoda apparently still thought Han possessed some form of 'inner peace' within him, but he did not agree.

However, other people seemed to be making progress, an understatement if there ever was one. A few meters from him, Leia was simultaneously levitating a number of boulders, as well as maintaining an upright, upside-down position. Her hands were firmly planted on the ground and her head hung loosely, eyes closed. Her body was straight as an iron rod, completely in control. In front of her, Yoda sat in his usual position on his knees.

He was whispering things to Leia, probably encouragements, or some of that Jedi mumbo-jumbo that always just served to confused Han. Leia would nod every once in a while, and her forehead was shiny with sweat. As per usual her hair was tightly braided as so not to get in her way, and her long plait nearly touched the ground as it dangled upside-down over her shoulder.

Han smirked and shook his head. Barely a month ago he hadn't even believed in all this Jedi stuff, and now Leia was right there in front of him doing a rather good job of mastering it. He had no idea when she'd be ready and they could return to Arbra, but it was clear that everything would change for her when they did. She already seemed just as powerful as Luke had been when Vader captured him, if not more.

But that was not to say Luke hadn't also been training all this time of course. If he _was_ training with Vader, and if Yoda was to be believed, the Kid was probably a full-fledged 'Sith' – a word Han firmly believed did not suit Luke at all. It was a raspy, ugly word that hissed in the air as it was spoken. Perhaps it suited Darth Vader, or that Emperor, but scrawny Luke Skywalker from Tatooine?

No way in Corellian hells.

Han gave up trying to cool down by catching an elusive breeze just then and decided to take a short dip in the swamp. It had nothing on Corellia's vast lakes, and was undoubtedly crawling with the foulest creatures you could imagine, but it would have to do. Han was not used to all this humidity. How Leia could stand it was far beyond him. And he'd seen her doing exercises; training in katas, practising the _djem so_ lightsaber techniques Yoda had shown her, although she had to make do with a branch while the green Jedi had a true weapon…

Those training sessions were a thing of the past now, though. Yoda seemed to be slowing down. All he ever did these days was sit in front of Leia, or ride on her shoulders as he instructed her during their long treks in the jungle. Even now as Han looked over to him, he looked frailer than ever.

"See something do you?" Yoda suddenly asked, speaking louder than he had been a moment ago and causing Han to perk up and listen.

Leia mumbled something back in response, so Han came out of the swamp and walked over to them. He didn't make a habit of eavesdropping on their mostly complicated philosophical lessons, but judging from Leia's facial expression, this looked important. "I think," Leia was saying now. "It's hazy, but it… I can see the Alliance on Arbra. They’re still safe. But I see… No!" With a shout she opened her eyes and flipped nimbly back onto her feet as all the stones in the air fell to the ground around her. "Vader – he’s going to find us!" She was panting, staring with wide eyes at Yoda.

The green Jedi kept his eyes closed. "Yes. Soon it will be. Perhaps… return to your Alliance you should."

Silence rang through the clearing, broken only by the distant cries of fauna. Then Leia spoke in a choked voice. "But, my training isn't complete." She hesitated, then added; "And I can't leave you here."

Yoda opened his eyes then and, incredibly, he was smiling. "A great student you have been. A long way you have come. Construct your lightsaber you must, then return to Arbra."

"My own lightsaber?" Leia's eyes went even wider. "But how?"

"At peace with the Force you are. Remember what I have taught you. Use the elements around you; the stones, the minerals in the soil of this planet… Bend to your will they shall. Leave to prepare tonight's meal I must, and upon my return I expect you to be done. Faith in your abilities I have, Leia." The small Jedi stood and leant on his cane, waited for her to nod and then left promptly in direction of his hut. It was currently mid-afternoon, judging by the sun.

Leia slumped against the nearest tree and looked up at Han. "I understand the theory, but how he expects me to actually build a lightsaber out of thin air in one afternoon… I just don't know, Han." She was smiling slightly however and Han came closer to her.

"Hey – the little guy believes in you." Han shrugged, sitting down next to her. "And so do I," he added with a lopsided smirk before leaning in for a kiss.

"Thanks Han." Leia said quietly afterwards. "You can stay and watch if you want, but I'm going to need silence." Han gave her a thumbs-up, and then settled a little ways away from her in order to give her more space. She assumed a meditative sitting position, closing her eyes once again.

It took several minutes before anything happened but then, right in front of Han, several stones dug themselves out of the soil from various places and came to a stop in mid-air. A minute later, they began to take on new, more specific shapes. It was as if they had become rubber in the air and were bending under her will. _Of course_ , Han thought, _she’s using the Force…_

A quarter hour later, a whole collection of rocks and metallic minerals were floating in front of Leia, twisting and rotating around each other slowly, as though attempting to fit together. They all moulded, apparently easily, into shape.

Leia's face was relaxed and her eyelids were fluttering slightly. The sweat on her brow was gone; she seemed completely at ease. Her hands were out in front of her, moving slowly through the air, commanding the Force. And under Han's watchful gaze, in no more than two hours, she achieved the very thing she'd just stated was impossible: constructing the basic form of a lightsaber hilt out of thin air. It was nearly done now and Han was watching it take its final form. It was predominately made from a khaki coloured mineral, along with some beige plating and a few shiny spots of light metal. The hilt was slightly curved into a shape that would fit her palm perfectly. It lacked buttons for now, so the upper part of the handle was completely smooth. The lower part was darker, and much resembled the lightsaber Luke had owned; lined with several jagged black lines.

It fell into her hand just as she opened her eyes and she stared at it for a long time before glancing towards Han. "How long did that take?" She asked at once.

"Around two hours, I dunno, I don't have a watch but judging by the light…"

"Seemed like just several minutes to me… The air certainly looks darker though," she agreed slowly. "It's going to be night-time soon and Master Yoda hasn't returned. Let's go back to the hut." She sounded in a hurry for some reason, so Han complied. Her steps were fast as she marched through the thick jungle, the newly crafted lightsaber hilt in hand, and he had to jog to keep in pace with her.

When they reached Yoda's hut, something immediately struck Han as odd. There was no smoke coming from the small chimney. Yoda had made the same kind of soup for supper at the same time every day since they'd arrived, so something was definitely off. They entered, stooping to crouching positions and sat down once they were close to the table.

Yoda was sitting on his bed a small ways away, wrapped in a thick blanket. Leia immediately moved to his side. "Can I get you anything Master?" She asked softly. Ever so slowly, he shook his head and lay down more comfortably in his small bunk.

"Leia," he said in a voice that was gruff and throaty even for him. "When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be."

A stunned silence followed his words, and then Leia croaked; "Master Yoda, you can't –" She stopped herself then, unable to say the word 'die'.

"Deserved this rest, I have," Yoda stated, shifting more comfortably. "Do not mourn for the dead Leia. Rejoice for those… who become one… with the Force." His voice cracked every few words as he gave a small cough, and Han saw that Leia's eyes were shiny with yet unshed tears. However, she nodded. "Your… lightsaber…?" Yoda demanded and Leia handed him the hollow, near-finished hilt.

The old Jedi smiled at her. "Very nice. Suits you… it does." He stretched out a hand and called his own weapon over from the corner of the room. In a few short seconds, he completely disassembled it in a similar way to how Leia had constructed her own. In the very centre of the loose, rotating jumble of metal was a long, bright green crystal.

"For you to have it… I wish." He said as he forced it into Leia's hands. He then handed her the dismantled pieces of his lightsaber. "Use these… finish yours."

"Master Yoda, please…"

"Time for me to go it is. Sufficient your training is… Ready you are… to face your brother." Yoda calmly said, closing his eyes and pulling his blanket higher above his shoulders. "Faith… in you… I… have." He then gave a great, sleepy sigh and his face relaxed. A moment later his body disappeared, leaving only his robes and blanket, which crumpled into the now empty space beneath it. Han looked back at Leia, who still was not crying. She was holding the green crystal and the small pieces of what had been Yoda's lightsaber tightly in her hands, and staring at the bed at her knees. Han gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder, and she leaned into the touch.

He allowed her several moments of silence, but eventually he knew they could not remain here. Lightly pinching her shoulder, he spoke; "C'mon Princess, we'd better get going."

It took her several more moments, but then she nodded and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, even though no tears had fallen. "I can't even bury him," she said sadly as they left the hut. "Maybe his body became the Force, like a Jedi ritual of some kind?"

"That'll be it," Han said distractedly as they trudged through the dense jungle, this time in the opposite direction. They knew precisely where the _Falcon_ was, having walked this path at least twice a day for the past month. There had been no room for them all to sleep in Yoda's hut, and the crew quarters of the ship were far more comfortable anyway. The Jedi had declined Leia's numerous invitations to join them in the ship, much to Han's relief; those times alone with Leia had kept him stable on this slimy mud hole of a planet.

And now it was time to leave already. Looking back, it had passed by so quickly. Han hadn't done much else but watch Leia's training progress and he had to wonder if she even realised just how powerful she had become. She could move like a flash of lightning, and levitate objects, and feel Han's very thoughts. At the moment however, as Han began lift off preparations, Leia sat hunched in the larger co-pilot chair, still staring at the lightsaber remains she was holding.

Han gripped the controls of the Falcon tightly and she rose into the air rather sluggishly, only just managing to pull out of the swamp. As soon as they had safely blasted out of the atmosphere he glanced back at the hunched form of Leia, but she still ignored him. The trip to Arbra was apparently going to be very silent.

**.**

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**.**

Leia left Han to pilot the ship alone as soon as the _Falcon_ entered hyperspace, and shut herself in the crew quarters. Sitting on the bed, disturbed only by the slow rocking of the ship, it was quite easy to slip into that meditative state she needed. Admittedly her connection to the Force did not feel as strong here as it had on Dagobah and it took her longer to fine-tune it, but she took deep breaths and cleared her mind, trying to banish all thought. It was impossible.

She'd finally agreed to Obi-Wan's proposition and travelled to meet Yoda, putting aside all her previous misgivings, all in the hopes of becoming strong enough to face her two Sith family members… And yet Yoda had died before her training could be complete. She simply didn't understand it. Fate was cruel to her it seemed, for right now she didn't feel capable of standing up to her brother and her father. How could she, when she was barely even half the Jedi Yoda was?

But a glint caught her eye just then; the pieces of Yoda's lightsaber lay in a pile on the bed, right next to her own earth-toned hilt. She was grateful for her master's final gift however, that was undeniable. It was big step for her.

Working silently and meticulously, she arranged the loose shards of metal to assemble themselves inside the hollow hilt she'd constructed today and levitated the green crystal into its centre. As though it had been the Force's very will, it all fit together perfectly and the completed khaki and ebony lightsaber fell into her palm softly. She turned it over several times in her hands, marvelling at its existence.

' _My lightsaber,'_ she thought in slight disbelief. Three protruding buttons, taken directly from Yoda's weapon, now polished off the hilt. She ran her thumb over them once, then flicked the sabre on, holding it at arm's length towards the middle of the room.

A long, bright, stunningly green blade shot out and hummed in the still air, emanating power and control, but also good… Justice. This truly was the weapon of a Jedi.

Leia closed her eyes, turned the blade off and smiled. _'Thank you Master Yoda.'_

**.**

**.**

They had only just been authorised to land, and already Leia was feeling nervous. She forced her mind to calm, reminding herself that everything would be fine. It wasn't like she was going out to face Luke and Vader right now; there was still time before any of that happened…

The lush greenery and small, charming waterfalls of Arbra came into view as the _Falcon_ dropped from the atmosphere through the clouds. It appeared to be midday, judging by how high the sun was in the sky over Haven Base. Leia was back in the cockpit with Han, but neither of them had spoken since leaving Dagobah. There was no need really. Han had accepted so much already this past month, and for that Leia was more than grateful.

Just then the ship touched down softly into the large hangar, which, Leia immediately noticed, was crowded with people. It seemed their return had not gone unnoticed. As the last sounds of the _Falcon_ 's engines died out, Leia took a final deep breath and clipped her new lightsaber at her belt. She then followed Han all the way to the boarding ramp, where he gave her one last smile before opening the hatch.

At once they were both assaulted by a very large and incredible furry wookiee, and promptly dragged into a bone-cracking bear hug. Leia laughed, glad that Chewbacca wasn't angry at them for not saying goodbye, but Han didn't seem too appreciative of this display of emotion.

"Chewie! Chewie – gedoffme!" His voice sounded muffled by fur, and Chewie huffed in laughter before releasing them. "Yeah, yeah, good to see you too pal," Han went on, brushing fur from his shoulders. "So, I guess you got my message then, seeing as how all my limbs are still attached to my body –"

"Leia!" A new voice called out, and she turned away from the reunion between Chewbacca and Han to meet eyes with Carlist Rieekan. He was beaming at her. "How did your secret mission go?"

Feeling slightly sheepish at his choice of words, although he didn't actually sound reproachful, Leia smirked. "Quite well, General. But I am glad to be back."

Before the General could say anything in response, Wedge Antilles pushed his way to the front of the crowd and regarded her and Han with a kind of mock-seriousness only he could accomplish. "Yeah, so where _were_ you two anyway? I’ve got a bet goin' on with Lando that you guys had eloped or something!"

Leia turned quickly to exchange a look with Han, but he was busy making sure that Chewie didn't choke the life out of him with one of those crushing hugs. Ah well, there'd be time to tell them about their engagement formally later on she supposed. So instead, she decided on the truth, or at least a great part of it.

"I was training," she said. "To become a Jedi."

Everybody in the hangar fell instantly silent at that and Leia gave a quick glance around, scanning all of their reactions. Rieekan's face was mostly unreadable though with a hint of shock, Wedge bore a look of utter bemusement, Chewie and Lando were sharing a look and then turned back to Han questioningly, but Leia's eyes were quickly drawn to Crix Madine's. She had known he wouldn't approve of her decisions, but it was still annoying that he was proving her right. After all this time he still did not trust Jedi. She’d hoped he would trust _her_ enough to overcome his feelings.

Even though it had already been a good ten seconds since her announcement, nobody was speaking. Slowly, she unclipped her lightsaber from her belt and held it upwards in her palm.

Wedge was the first to comment. "Amazing! So… you're like Luke was before, then?" He was staring intently at the lightsaber, apparently so excited he hadn't even noticed that he'd mentioned Luke's name – an occurrence that usually brought his mood down several notches. Leia gave a small smile and allowed him to examine the lightsaber more closely, though she still kept a firm hold on it.

Next to her, General Rieekan had regained his senses and was looking her weapon over closely. "Well, I don't know how much you've managed to accomplish in a month, but I'm sure we should have every reason to consider your presence as a Force user a privilege. Welcome back, Leia."

"Until she ends up like Skywalker," a grim voice cut through Rieekan's words. "Until she becomes corrupted just like every other Jedi before her." Both Madine's face and tone of voice were calm and collected, but Leia was not fooled. Crix was a man who had no trouble speaking his mind and, no matter how cool he appeared, that undertone of anger and suspicion remained.

"Crix!" Rieekan exclaimed, knitting his eyebrows together in a mix of surprise and annoyance.

"No it's fine, Carlist," Leia said quietly, placing her lightsaber back at her hip and turning slightly to face the angrier of the two men properly. "I can understand how you feel about Jedi, Crix. I'm familiar with Galactic History. But Jedi existed for millennia before the events that helped shape the Empire, and they were always a force for change, and good. You know me, I've never been about empty words and promises – when I said I was doing this for the Alliance, I was dead serious. I fully intend to make a move against the Empire as a Jedi and, if I get close enough, I also intend to face Darth Vader… as a Jedi." She paused, letting her eyes meet with Wedge and the other pilots before adding, "And Luke. I will do whatever I need to do to stop them both. Those are promises from a Jedi, you can count on that."

Madine's unimpressed expression had faltered slightly, but he still crossed his arms. However, most of the other people surrounding them were looking suddenly a lot more hopeful. There was a long silence, which finally Rieekan decided to break.

"So… Not that we're not happy to have you back, but why return after only a month of training?"

Leia bowed her head slightly and shot a furtive glance at Han. But she could not mention Yoda's name; that was clear. "I had a vision," she said instead. "The Empire will find us. Soon. We need to act now, before they do."

"And what do _you_ suggest?" Madine demanded with undisguised contempt.

"I… don't know." Leia admitted. "But I just felt I should warn you all, so we can form a plan. Isn't that enough?" To that, Madine had no answer so he simply looked elsewhere while Rieekan took over the conversation.

"Well in any case, we're pleased to inform you that nothing very significant has happened on the Empire's side since you left. Vader's forces are still on Coruscant. However… There was a new attack on Mon Calamari, though not quite as violent as last time. We were also much too far away here to lend them any help. Admiral Nammo has agreed to contribute his help in light of the attack. His ship is ready to join our forces."

Leia frowned. "And Vader was not the one to command the attack?"

"We have no proof on this matter. And we have no idea what Vader is actually doing on Coruscant… No official idea anyway." He said darkly, knowing what everyone would be thinking just then. It was clear to the Alliance that Vader was taking his time shaping their once shining new hope into a monstrous Sith. And now that Leia had decided to become a Jedi, their theories seemed to be confirmed; Luke should be considered a serious threat.

"Let's talk it over in a meeting," Rieekan said now, dragging Leia out of her dark thoughts. "Then we'll see what to do about the Empire." She nodded at him and offered a smile, and he then walked away with a still scowling Crix Madine in tow.

All at once, the pilots closed in, watching in amusement as Han failed once again to extract himself from Chewbacca's strong grip. Leia thought she'd never seen Lando laugh so hard. There hadn't been much to laugh about these past months. But Leia enjoyed the casual atmosphere of hanging out with the pilots once in a while. It was just then that Han finally managed to push his furry friend off and, with everyone distracted, a grinning Wedge Antilles turned back to face her.

"So Leia, can we get a look at that lightsaber?" He asked respectfully enough, though she knew how excited he was about it. Timidly she brought it out again and turned it on, waving it to the side slightly with an adept flick of her wrist. She hadn't agreed to train and become a Jedi for the glory or anything like that, but all their looks of wonder still made her grin despite herself. After performing a few moves and twists with the glowing saber in hand, mostly for Wedge's enjoyment, she turned it back off and clipped it back safely to her belt.

"Amazing," Wedge stated, shaking his head. "Just spectacular –"

"Okay, okay, cut it out Antilles," Han said, suddenly back at her side. It took Leia a few moments to notice that he'd placed a – was it _protective_? – hand around her hip. She let her shoulders slacken slightly as the two Corellian pilots stared each other down, Han reproachful and Wedge simply intrigued.

"What…?" Wedge began, then mouthed something indistinct. His eyes had trailed to where Han was holding Leia, the latter of which was certain her cheeks must be a little redder than was strictly normal right now.

She took a breath and readjusted her face into a happy, calm expression in order to announce; "Han asked me to marry him. And I accepted." A strange silence followed, then…

"No _way_ did Han manage to pull it together and ask you!" Lando shouted, though he was already congratulating his friend by clapping him on the back. "You're talkin' a real proposal, here? Man would I have loved to see that."

"He sort of just blurted it out actually," Leia said, shooting a cheeky look at Han, who looked indignant now. He continued to absent-mindedly high-five the pilots while staring right back at Leia with a slightly sheepish look.

After that the pilots insisted they have a celebration, or at least a few drinks. Leia really just wanted to retire to her room and be alone for a while, but she had no real choice in the matter, as she was promptly dragged to the pilots' quarters and a glass was shoved into her hand. She was careful not to drink it too fast and thankfully remained lucid, merely watching the men celebrate for her and Han. She even received a great big, brotherly hug from Chewie.

She stayed as long as she felt was necessary and then, when nobody was really paying attention to her anymore, she managed to sneak away to the peace and quiet of her room, which had essentially been occupied by the wookiee during her absence. Nevertheless, she undid her long plait and curled up on the bed to think.

Just this morning she'd still been Master Yoda's pupil, still thinking she had so much to learn…

Well, she _did_ still have so much to learn. The reality of her current situation was difficult to face. What was she going to do now? If Vader and her… brother… found out about her, how would they each react? Would that alone be enough to convince Luke to come back? And would Vader accept the fact that he had a daughter, that she would not let herself be corrupted like Luke, that she did not pity him, that she would fight him if necessary…

Would she?

Even though she had a lightsaber now, as well as a certain degree of control over the Force, there was still a small voice in the back of her head reminding her that fighting Darth Vader was practically synonymous to 'suicide'. And if Luke fought against her at their father's side? Well, then she’d practically be gift-wrapping herself.

When she had asked Yoda what he believed the dark side might feel like, his answers had always been very vague. 'You will know,' he'd assured her. So she supposed that, instinctively, she was supposed to _feel_ if what she was doing was right or not. So how did she feel about facing the dark side of her family? All this uncertainty and worrying surely wasn't healthy, so she tried to stay away from these thoughts now as she rolled over, sighing.

Still… She felt very uncomfortable. An itch she could not scratch had taken residence beneath her skin, announcing that a confrontation was drawing nearer.

**.**

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	29. Chapter 29

The slew of annoyances accompanying the annual event of Empire Day began at once, as usual. Vader awoke to the white interior of his hyperbaric chamber after a vaguely refreshing night's sleep and entered the commands for his helmet to encase his head so that he could leave. He’d rather get this day over with as soon as possible, and his back was stiff from staying seated for too long. He drew his first gravelly breath of the day, trying not to remember that it had already been twenty-one years to the day since he'd taken his very first one.

So far, the past two Empire Day celebrations had been the least aggravating for him, since he'd been off-world at the time and free from all the obnoxious parades and hymns and _damned_ joy. Ideally, or so everybody seemed to think, the Dark Lord of the Sith second in command of the Galaxy, essentially half the reason the Empire even existed, should be overjoyed on Empire Day – remembering his victory.

Vader sneered at the mere thought of the word. That day had not been a _victory_. For Palpatine perhaps, it had signified years of scheming finally coming to fruition. But for Vader, no matter how many Jedi had been destroyed that day, no matter how powerful he had felt… all those actions would always be overshadowed by the one failure that Vader would never forgive himself for.

And so, as it was every year that he spent this forsaken day on Coruscant, Vader moodily exited his chamber and marched as thunderously as possible down to the hangar. Taking his favourite speeder out for a while would at least ensure he didn't snap and murder anybody before lunch.

**.**

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**.**

Daylight slowly crept into the room, pushing back the shadows that had been created by the many discarded cartons of food and drink, as well as the piles of dirty clothes and various other objects lying around. The blinds had not been closed that night either, as Luke usually liked to be kept alert and distracted from his dark thoughts by the unfamiliar lights and cityscape of Imperial Center. But that night, amazingly, Luke had fallen right asleep.

He'd been out with Nat again last night, playing sabbac with her and some of her friends. There had been some good hands for him, but in the end he had lost quite a bit of money (Nat's friends were more experienced than stormtroopers for sure). However, for the first time in his life, he didn't really care. He'd been using his father's credit card and the latter had yet to bring up the subject again, indicating that Luke's expenses appeared fair. Vader definitely didn't know about his evening escapades, otherwise he would have put a stop to it already. Or at least tried to.

As he woke to the sunlight on his face, blinking rapidly, he reflected on how relaxed he felt today. In fact, he hadn't felt this at ease in weeks. Logically, he supposed it must have something to do with the fact that he was no longer confined to his father's dark, stifling presence around the clock, or even that of his castle in fact. But he knew there was something more to it. Deep in thought, he dressed in his habitual black robes and looked at himself in the mirror for a long time.

His reflection looked strange to him. Ever since that moment in the meditation pod where he'd seen his father's face, his father's eyes, Luke had tried to avoid looking at himself for longer than was necessary. Every time he accidentally caught sight of his own reflection, or couldn't resist the need to look at himself, he found himself unable to stop the vision of his skin becoming pallid and sullen, his eyes changing to a dirty, foul yellow…

Not today. Today he managed to face his reflection with a certain amount of calm. It was distantly akin to the calm he'd felt while meditating on Dagobah so long ago, but less vibrant. Instead, it felt bluntly numb, cold, but controlled. He felt – there really was no other word for it – powerful.

The training sessions with his father had been paying off, he noticed now. His limbs and upper body were less lanky, his posture a little straighter. Cuts and burns in various stages of healing criss-crossed his shoulders, neck and arms, but he hardly cared. Each one was a memory of a mistake made, and a lesson learned. He was getting better at lightsaber training in fact, sometimes managing to strike a blow through his father's defences.

He looked himself over once more, ran a hand through his now rather long mane of wavy hair so that it was tossed out of his face, smirked and turned away. How could he look at himself in satisfaction after everything he'd done and all that he would do in the future? He honestly couldn't figure out what he felt exactly. It wasn't shame anymore, nor even self-loathing.

It had happened gradually enough mostly, but right now he could feel it more than ever; the sheer power of the dark side bubbling under his calm façade, ready to burst and lash out at the slightest provocation.

Strange how he was having this realization just as he was turning twenty-one…

Today was indeed his birthday and, as he'd quickly learned upon joining the Alliance, Empire Day. He'd also shared the same birthday as Leia – two coincidences that now seemed cruel and ironic. For one, his father would surely be even angrier than usual today, a day that Luke usually liked, due to all the partying and celebration. And, for his past two birthdays, he'd shared a cake and a party with Leia (birthdays were a luxury when you were a Rebel) and they had been the best of his entire life. Sadly, he wondered if she was thinking about him right now. Perhaps also waking up on some distant planet somewhere.

He was then suddenly torn from his reflections by a distraction in the form of Artoo, who came up to him from across the room, blabbing away in binary. Luke didn't really need to know what the droid was saying; his presence instantly made him feel a little better. He attempted a smile and failed, so instead he roughly placed his good hand on top of the smooth dome and gave it a few pats.

"Thanks Artoo," he said softly.

Artoo beeped something appreciative in response and Luke closed his eyes, feeling more at ease, letting his mind slip comfortably into the Force. Very carefully, trying not to cause a ripple, he prodded around and found that his father wasn't nearby. There hadn't been much time to check, but he was reasonably sure his father wasn't even in the building.

Just as good. Luke wanted to postpone meeting up with his father for as long as possible today. And he was certain his father would agree, for both their sakes. Besides, Luke was hungry now and it would be easier to sneak out without detection if his father wasn't around. No doubt would there be very good food at the celebrations that evening, but Luke had a busy day planned and he wasn't keen on facing it on an empty stomach just so he could make room for the Emperor's _fancy_ food later on.

Managing a small smile this time, Luke walked over to the desk in the lounge part of his quarters and picked up the VIP ticket that had been lying there for the past four days. Kimmi Chyler’s race was being held today as a pre-Empire Day Parade event. If Kimmi's team won, Luke thought he might even stay for the parade, depending on whether or not his father would be looking for him yet by that point.

Luke knew how risky it was to go out and have some 'normal' fun, as he liked to call it in his head, and especially on this particular day. The Emperor would surely consider this occasion as an excuse to study him further, and acting the complete opposite of what you'd expect from a Sith apprentice was probably a bad idea. But he needed people like Nat, Kimmi and their friends to help keep him grounded.

It seemed like a distant memory now, but he recalled the days he'd spent sitting in the darkened cell on board the _Executor_ when he'd been refusing to submit to Vader… The thought and memory of his friends had kept him happy, calm, and at peace with himself when things had seemed most hopeless. Luke needed to feel normal sometimes, to spend some time with people who didn't know what he really was.

His father would surely call that 'being ashamed' or trying to resist his destiny, and honestly, Luke might agree with him for once. But Luke didn't care if he was being cowardly. Just the other day the Emperor had called piloting his 'outlet'; the elderly Sith hadn't known how close to the mark that comment truly had been.

**.**

**.**

The sun shone down merrily on Coruscant, almost as though it were celebrating Empire Day in the capital, too. Luke had borrowed Nat's speeder again, with permission from the TIE Pilot who was off duty today and had taken the occasion to visit her mother. That was what she'd told Luke anyway.

But Luke wasn't complaining. It was a beautiful day, and he had at least half of it all to himself with the prospect of a swoop race: more than he'd had to look forward to in quite a while. He was forced to park the speeder several blocks away from the actual site of the celebrations due to heavy traffic and CSF officers directing everybody to parking areas that had been created expressly for today.

There were many squads of stormtroopers on patrol everywhere Luke glanced, and for some reason they made him a little nervous. He'd come here to escape from his usual life, where stormtroopers and Imperial officers alike all cowered away from him, where the Emperor was on first-name basis with him, and where Darth Vader regularly brawled with him…

But what if somebody told Vader he was here? Luke had already proven he couldn't outrun the CSF. He could only hope he wouldn't be recognised.

By the time he reached the actual stadium, the preliminary races had already started. But Luke decided he wanted to enjoy the full experience so he did take the time to purchase a large drink and some fried snacks. He then managed to find a suitable seat and slumped back next to a large gang of twi'leks. Swoop racing was apparently nearly as popular with the twi'leks as with the humans he noticed, as the ratio in the stadium had to be close to fifty-fifty.

It wasn't long before he understood why; the opposing team was comprised entirely of twi'leks. They looked friendly to Kimmi's team however, and Luke suspected they must have been the twi'leks she'd been playing sabbac with the first time Luke met her. As the race started, they all shook hands and wished each other good luck. Luke raised himself a little out of his seat in order to see better and was able to recognize Krew as he mounted his swoop; the very same one Luke had used to race against Kimmi.

"And they're off!" A commentator started speaking once the flags were raised and the race officially began. "What a fine day this is for a race, gentlebeings, a very fine Empire Day indeed. As I'm sure there is no need to remind anyone, the outcome of today's race will determine which of these two teams will make it to the championship –"

Luke tuned the voice out at that point, so concentrated on the actual race that he didn't even notice that somebody had inadvertently kicked his soda down the row. There were five laps to go, including many dangerous turns and risky jumps, and he really had no idea which team would win yet. He of course kept an eye out mostly for Kimmi and Krew since he knew them, but some of the twi'leks on the other team did stand out to him as well.

Already, barely into the first lap, there was an accident. One of Kimmi's team had been trailing too closely behind one of the twi'leks and as they tried to perform a sharp turn at the same time, they ran into each other and jumped off their vehicles just before they erupted in a ball of flames. The crowd roared in delight as the two racers hurried to get off the track and out of the way of the others coming their way. The smouldering remains of their swoops would have to be scooped up later.

Luke was excited – he gasped and cheered along with the crowd, happily letting himself forget where he was for several minutes.

In no time at all, it seemed, the last lap had begun and Luke averted his eyes from the latest crash in order to confirm that Kimmi was still in first place, though closely followed by two twi'leks that were sandwiched between her and Krew. For Kimmi's team to win now, they had to secure at least the first and second place. With only about two kilometres to go, Krew had better speed up if he intended to win. The two twi'leks were closing in on Kimmi now however, and Luke winced when he understood what they were about to do.

Sandwiched had been the right term; both racers had now stabilised on either side of Kimmi and, with a jerky motion, attempted to bump into her simultaneously. Kimmi's reflexes were lightning-fast. She fed her swoop a burst of fuel and kicked herself off of it, somersaulting in the air right over the swoop that had been to her right. And then, as though she had used the Force itself, she landed cleanly on the back of the opposing racer's swoop and jumped right off again, only to land a few metres away safely back on top of her own vehicle. Meanwhile, just behind her, the two other racers bumped cleanly into each other and lost a considerable amount of speed in the process.

Kimmi didn't stop accelerating until she reached the finish line, where she turned and skidded to a stop just in time to watch Krew zoom past the two twi'leks. The human part of the crowd went wild, their shouts deafening to say the least. They even drowned out the voice of the commentator who was trying very hard not to show his own joy at the human team's win.

The two teams shook hands again and waved to the crowd proudly for several minutes before the first people even began to leave the stadium. The Empire Day Parade wasn't for another hour at least and people weren't in a hurry. Luke remained seated, waiting for there to be less people before he decided to go down. He was fiddling with his ticket, wondering what to do. The VIP status of the ticket allowed him to go see Kimmi and her team after the race. He really wanted to go, but was certain they would want to invite him to all sorts of celebrations and other tempting events. On one hand he _would_ be celebrating Empire Day, which he supposed was alright.

But on the other hand, his father would be looking for him and that was never a good thing.

He was saved the necessity of deciding when a voice called out to him from a few rows downwards. He glanced over and saw Kimmi dancing on the tips of her toes, her head poking out from the changing room area. "Luke! Hey Luke!"

He sighed, though it wasn't exactly exasperated, and rushed down the rows to greet her. "Hey," he said happily. "That was an amazing race!"

"You can't have seen that many swoop races, then." Kimmi commented and he laughed.

"That's true. But I really enjoyed it. Thank Krew for the tickets again for me, won't you?"

Her face fell. "You can come thank him yourself if you like. We're going to the Parade, then out for supper before the annual presentation and all that. You're more than welcome to join in!"

"Well, I didn't have any plans actually, but…"

"But what?" Kimmi pressed, her thin eyebrows lowering slightly. "You got a wife waiting for you at home or something?"

"Not even close!" Luke said, laughing despite himself.

"Well come on then, you have no excuse," Kimmi told him promptly, as she pulled him by the arm all the way outside the stadium, where several of her teammates were waiting. As they approached, Krew threw out an arm to slap Luke on the back.

"Hello Krew," Luke said with a smile. "Thanks again for the ticket. That was an awesome race."

"No problem at all, Luke! Thank _you_ fer the blaster!" Luke grinned at him one last time before following them down the street all the way to the parade. Kimmi and Krew kept laughing at the memory of their winning move, and discussed the finer points of the race with the two other teammates that had tagged along (the two others had been injured during the race and weren't in any condition to attend a parade and a dinner), while Luke happily listened in.

He was glad they weren't being too curious about him; he was used to lying to people about his life by now, but it never felt comfortable. In any case the Parade went by pretty uneventfully, after which Luke agreed to accompany them to a restaurant where they were supposed to be meeting up with Kimmi's boyfriend, the other Corellian Nat had told him about.

As they entered the restaurant, Kimmi pulled them over to a large table where a redheaded man was already seated. He stood as they approached and gave Kimmi a quick squeeze around the middle. Apparently already familiar with her teammates, he didn't spare them more than a glance and a wave, and instead his eyes focused on Luke.

Immediately, Luke felt uncomfortable under his gaze. Something made him feel like, somehow, this guy knew there was something about him…

"Luke," Kimmi suddenly said, pulling him towards her. "This is Dash Rendar."

"Pleased to meet you, _Luke_." Dash said, extending his hand. There was something in the way he said the name that confirmed Luke's suspicion: Dash was wary of him. Nevertheless, they shook hands, and nobody else seemed to notice the cold look they had just given each other.

It was only after they were seated and everybody had exchanged the necessary pleasantries, asking how everyone's families were and such, that the conversation subject turned to Luke. They had just ordered drinks and food, when Dash glanced over at Luke from his seat across the table.

"So Luke, where are you from?"

"Tatooine," Luke answered easily. "And you're Corellian aren't you?"

"Yep. We Corellians like to stick together," he said as he placed an arm around Kimmi's shoulder.

That was when Kimmi grinned and interjected; "Luke's friends with Han Solo! We were just talking about him the other day."

"Are you now?" Dash asked, obviously intrigued and, from what Luke could tell, suspicious. "So what did you say your family name was then, Luke?"

"I didn't," Luke answered quickly, nervously. _He knows_ , he thought desperately. _I'm sure he knows!_ "I… um, I don't have one. See, I was orphaned at birth." He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. For star's sake, lying to the Emperor had been easier than lying to this guy! His whole body felt on edge, as though the Force itself was trying to warn him of some impending danger.

"Oh!" Kimmi sighed sadly. "I didn't know that!"

"I don't like to talk about it." Luke answered uneasily, with hardly any faking involved.

"Did you ever find out who your parents were?" Dash asked just then, his face unreadable. But before Luke could supply an answer, Kimmi nudged her boyfriend softly.

"Don't pester him about it, Dash!" Dash turned his head to look at her and smiled so genuinely that Luke was surprised. He'd figured Dash for a cold kind of guy. But he nodded to her.

"Sorry about that," he shot at Luke, though without really looking at him. Luke mumbled something in return, but it didn't really matter because Dash was too busy looking at Kimmi now. He felt uneasy for the rest of the meal however, and didn't miss the cold, calculating looks Dash kept sending him. When everybody had paid for their food and it was time to leave the restaurant, Luke actually felt relieved.

He couldn't wait to get to the Palace and find his father. As excited as he had been today, he was glad it was over. Darth Vader's company was looking more and more enticing next to Kimmi Chyler's suspicious friend's. However, it soon became clear that they were heading onto a landing pad and at once Luke knew which ship belonged to Dash. A YT-2400 light freighter stood proudly among the many speeders in the lot. The group came to a halt close to it and one of the racers bid them farewell as he had promised to meet up with his girlfriend for the celebrations.

As soon as he was gone, Dash smiled at them all and offered them a ride on his ship. "This is the _Outrider_ ,” he said proudly. “I did this last year too and, let me tell ya – the fireworks look a hell of a lot better from the sky!"

Kimmi grinned. "Neat!" Krew and the other remaining teammate nodded their approval, and looked over at Luke.

"I'm… not sure if I should." Luke said slowly, trying not to look at Dash. However, the redhead had already closed the space between them. "Kimmi, you can go fire her up," he tossed her the keys to his ship. "You guys go ahead, we'll be right with you."

"Everything ok?" Kimmi asked warily, her eyes flickering between Luke and Dash. She waited for her boyfriend to nod, then got on board the ship with her two teammates.

Luke stood quite still, waiting for Dash to speak. It seemed like whatever was making the man nervous would soon be put to light. "Kimmi told me about you, you know," he began slowly, looking Luke over carefully. "Told me how you beat her in a race."

So that was it? Dash was mad that somebody had beaten his girlfriend in a race? Feeling more than a little annoyed, the notorious anger he'd inherited from his father boiling within him, Luke opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.

"That's not what's bugging me." Dash assured him, and Luke snapped his mouth shut. "She told me you were a nice guy. I was expecting a nice guy when I met you. But I've been a smuggler practically my whole life, and I know the dodgy people when I see them." He paused long enough to give Luke a warning look. "But I am ready to believe I'm wrong about you, if you want. And I'll let you come along with us on my ship if Kimmi's friendship means anything to you."

Luke hesitated, not sure what to do with all this information. Nobody he had ever met before had immediately figured him out as a bad person. Luke Skywalker had always been the good guy. But _this_ Luke, the one that was Vader's Shadow apparently was not that good person anymore, and Dash had felt it. For a moment, Luke was horrified at himself. And that, perhaps, was the reason why he nodded. Maybe he felt the need to prove to himself that he was still a good person somewhere inside.

He still had a nagging feeling like he would regret it later, but he said yes and got on board the _Outrider_.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Everybody in the ballroom was avoiding the same person that evening; Darth Vader. He stood still as a statue, a solid black mass at the back of the room, near the door, the sound of his breathing chilling everybody as they entered. It had been hours since he'd sent a squad of troopers to look for his son, and he hadn't heard from them yet. The Emperor had not made an appearance yet and so, thankfully, was surely not aware that Luke was missing, but Vader was still worried.

Of all the days his son could have chosen to disappear! This was embarrassing. Vader couldn't remember any occasion when he'd ever been embarrassed in public, and he was not about to start now. He didn't care about any of the Moffs or Admirals, or the greater public, but his Master expected him _and_ his apprentice to be present at the ceremony, and time was running as short as Vader's temper.

He'd already strangled three people today, and was quite sure that he could get away with a few more before Palpatine so much as frowned at him, but he'd much rather have his son back at his side than crush a few more useless people's throats. For the first time since his rebirth, Darth Vader was genuinely worried about somebody. What if something had happened to Luke this time?

That thought alone made him clench his jaw. A jug of water on the table next to him exploded, and several people nearby backed away in alarm, but Vader didn't care. Let them _know_ he was angry. The entire universe would suffer if anything happened to his son, Vader would make sure of that…

Just then, he caught a flash of red and black entering the room and turned on his heel to greet the new arrival, already aware of who it was. The Force signature was faint, as always, but he recognized it with ease. "What do you want, Jade?" He snapped.

Mara Jade skidded to a halt and glanced over at him. She wasn't much more than three meters away from him, but had apparently decided to pretend she had not seen him standing there. " _Lord_ Vader," she intoned, more for the sake of the important Moffs surrounding them than Vader's. "In a good mood as always, I see."

"That attitude of yours will be your undoing, Jade," Vader hissed through his clenched teeth. "Mark my words; the _second_ your Master even looks the other way, I will be upon you like a pack of rabid anoobas."

"I'm sure," Jade replied, remarkably coolly. She could speak more freely now, as most of the people around them had hastily cleared the area when they sensed how angry the Sith Lord was. "But before that happy day arrives, I suppose we'll just have to put up with each other."

"State your business or get out of my sight," Vader told her wearily. "I'm in no mood for your impudence tonight."

"Believe me," she retorted, "I hardly came here to make small talk with you. I have business, as you said. Now, I'm quite certain it will come as no surprise for you to know that the Emperor asked me to investigate your apprentice's doings –"

"To _spy_ on him, rather –"

"Indeed, if you prefer that term," Mara admitted. "Well, I think you'd be interested to know that your apprentice spent the day at the swoop race, in rather questionable company. About half an hour ago, he boarded a common YT freighter with said company and presumably left the planet –"

" _What_ did you say?" Vader growled, and Jade let the hint of a smirk twist the corner of her lip.

"I _said_ that your apprentice has most likely been lured into a trap by the rebellion, or any other hostile parties. Either that, or he is a traitor to the Empire, or a spy."

Vader took a step closer to Mara and pointed a finger in her face, speaking in low, dangerous tones. "Be careful of what you are implying, Jade. No apprentice of mine is a traitor."

"Perhaps not," the redheaded Hand replied, stepping back minutely as only she would dare to do. "But the fact remains that he has found himself in quite a predicament. He is prone to that, isn't he?"

Already walking away, Vader snarled at her one last time. "I care neither for your implications nor for your opinions, Jade. Now let me be." He didn't even bother demanding that she not inform the Emperor of this situation, as it would be quite futile. That woman was as loyal to Palpatine as Anakin Skywalker had been to Obi-Wan Kenobi.

And right now, Vader was in a hurry anyway. He needed to find Luke before it was too late.

Ignoring Jade, who muttered "Not even a thank you…" behind his back, he stormed away to the closest hangar and barked at a nearby squadron of stormtroopers to follow him into a shuttle. These particular troopers were part of his 501st and were used to his temper, so they quickly did as they were told. In no time at all they were off, rising higher and higher into the atmosphere.

As he piloted the shuttle himself, Vader had time to quietly reprimand himself. He should have known Luke wouldn't stay put on this day, his _birthday_. Luke never stayed put anyway, so really Vader should have expected his son to do something especially foolish today. He recalled what Jade had said; that Luke had been to the swoop race today. How had he acquired tickets? Ever since he'd given the boy a credit card, Vader had been watching the numbers closely, and nothing had seemed out of the ordinary.

Swoop race tickets weren't cheap. And regardless of the means he had used to acquire them, Luke had been very good at hiding it from Vader. This infuriated him to no end; if Luke had been able to do that, what else could he have gotten up to behind his father's back? He didn't like to think about it, so he pushed away those thoughts and concentrated on piloting the shuttle.

It seemed almost hopeless that he'd manage to find Luke among all the traffic over Coruscant. Without any knowledge of where he could be except for the fact that he was on board a YT freighter… Vader almost slammed down on the brakes as a horrible thought came over him. The _Millennium Falcon_ was a YT freighter!

Quickly, Vader signalled to his crew of stormtroopers and they all moved in closer. "I assume you are all familiar with the _Millennium Falcon_?" He demanded, and barely gave them time to nod before telling them; "That is the ship we are looking for, specifically. Or any other kind of YT freighter, for that matter. Keep your eyes open and send the message out to all nearby Star Destroyers. You there," he snapped around at one trooper in particular. "Establish a comlink connection with the _Executor_ and keep them on hold. They are to be ready to deploy a squadron of TIEs at my signal."

The troopers all saluted and got to work as Vader returned to his piloting. It was very hard for him to concentrate through the anger that clouded his mind. The rebellion was trying to take his son away from him again. Surely a brilliant idea from the mind of one Leia Organa, he mused. Hadn't Luke proven himself loyal to Vader and the Empire by now?

If that was the case, then what could the rebellion want with Luke? Was he a target?

Vader was pulled out of his thoughts just then by a stormtrooper, who approached him hurriedly. "My Lord, the _Executor_ has a visual on the _Millennium Falcon_."

"That was fast," Vader commented. He wasn't sure whether to be even angrier at the news, or pleased. So his suspicion had been true, but at least he'd have the _Falcon_ in his grasp soon. "My orders are to capture the ship. Tell them to tractor beam it on board at once and that we will be there shortly to deal with them. Under no circumstances are the crew to be harmed."

"Yes, Sir," the trooper said, before moving back to his station to relay the orders to Vader's flagship. Vader's pulse increased slightly at the thought of punishing whoever had thought it wise to trap his son.

It took several minutes before the distant form of the _Executor_ appeared around the round edge of the planet among the heavy traffic of other ships but there, right underneath it, was the unmistakeable form of the _Falcon,_ which was slowly being pulled towards the mighty Star Destroyer. Vader smiled in anticipation, glaring daggers at the hated Corellian ship and into the very souls of those on board.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Leia stared blankly at the flashing screen that was indicating the uselessness of their attempts to escape the _Executor_ 's grip on them. Han was in another room, below the cockpit, currently caught in a shouting match with Chewie, and Lando was sitting beside her, shaking his head. The part of the Alliance's fleet that had accompanied them, that is, Admiral Nammo's ship, Rieekan and Madine's fighters, and all the X-Wings, were still hovering safely over Carida, just waiting for their signal.

As soon as they'd been hailed by the _Executor_ , that had been the first topic on debate. Should they contact the fleet? They could either tell them to retreat, leaving them to face their fate at Vader's hand, or tell them to enter the system. But there were so many civilians that could be caught in the battle, and the Imperial fleet was so… _huge_. Leia's gut squirmed as she stared into the distance at the Star Destroyers.

Their plan, which was now looking incredibly foolhardy, had been to subtly land on Coruscant and find their way unnoticed into Imperial City. Empire Day had seemed like the perfect occasion since the authorities would already be so preoccupied with the traffic around the planet and the ceremonies. Their plan had been, in short, to hide in plain sight. Taking the _Falcon_ had been a bit of a risky move, but she was the fastest ship in the fleet, good for a quick getaway, and they knew the Empire wouldn't be _looking out_ for them. Vader probably didn't expect them to just show up on Coruscant.

But apparently, he had expected them, judging by the speed at which they'd been hailed. As they'd exited hyperspace, they'd spotted the Star Destroyer some distance away, but hadn't been too nervous about its presence. There were so many ships out here today, and surely with all the celebrations on the planet, Vader wasn't on board…

But now, they weren't so sure. They hadn't even received a transmission informing them of their impending capture. Everything pointed to the unpleasant truth: Vader was very aware of their arrival. A horrible thought plagued Leia's mind; had Vader felt her arrive? She had been so careful!

"Son of a nek, son of a nek, son of a nek!" Han groaned, interrupting her thoughts as he climbed back into the cockpit and shoved Lando out of his seat. He was scowling as he turned to Leia; "There's nothing we can do. They've got us on a tighter leash than I'd keep an acklay on, and they're pulling us in hard. I'd say we've got about five minutes until we're on board the thing."

There was a gloomy silence, then Lando spoke out. "Damn it Han, I still can't believe you convinced me to tag along."

"Oh shut up, you coward," Han snapped at him, though it sounded half-hearted. He then turned to face Leia again. "Are you gonna… y'know?" He paused and closed his eyes a moment. "Are you gonna tell him?"

Leia looked out of the viewport to the looming form of the Star Destroyer. "I don't know… Depends on how things go, I suppose." She hadn't expected to be faced with that kind of decision today. Not for another… what? Days? Weeks? Who was she trying to kid? She'd never feel ready to face Darth Vader.

"Tell who what?" Lando asked, sounding genuinely confused. When nobody answered him, he shook his head again. "Yeah, right… this is the perfect time to be keeping secrets. And everyone knows _I_ can't be trusted." He sounded bitter, and Leia bit her lip, catching Han's eye. The smuggler shrugged as if to say 'if you must', and walked out of the cockpit to return to Chewie.

"Lando…" Leia began slowly, and he perked up. "I wasn't planning on telling anyone, but seeing as we're all… I mean, everything's going downhill right now…" She sighed, and decided just to say it. "Luke's my twin brother, and… and Darth Vader is our father. But Luke and Vader don't know about me."

Following her statement, nothing more was said in the _Millennium Falcon_ all throughout the short journey onto the _Executor_. Lando looked speechless, so he simply gave her a friendly, comforting sort of tap on the arm instead and then proceeded to stare out into space. All that could be heard after that were the sounds of the ship and Chewbacca's growls coming from outside the cockpit.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The fireworks weren't scheduled to start for another half-hour or so, but there was still a lot to look at from up here. They were lingering just inside of Coruscant's atmosphere and had the most spectacular view of the gigantic city. Luke even allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts for a while, forgetting about the nervousness he was still feeling at the fact that he hadn't heard anything from his father. Of course his father had said it was too risky to try and communicate with each other through the Force while in such proximity to the Emperor, but he could at least have sent a small prod his way or something.

And it was just then, just when Luke had been considering maybe sending a small prod in his father's direction that a transmission came through, ringing through the cockpit of the _Outrider_.

" _YT shuttle_ Outrider _, this is the Super Star Destroyer_ Judicator _. Please state your trajectory and cargo."_

Dash gave everybody a look that clearly meant 'don't worry', and addressed the person on the other end. " _Judicator_ , this is Dash Rendar, captain of the _Outrider_. We have only passengers on board and we're waiting for the fireworks ceremony to begin."

After some indistinct chattering on the other end, the person responded. _"We have orders to search every YT freighter around the planet. Prepare to be beamed on board and boarded."_

"Excuse me?" Dash replied. "Whose Orders, exactly?"

" _Lord Vader's orders, Captain Rendar. Now, prepare to be boarded."_

The connection was cut, but Dash still snapped back; "Like hells!"

Kimmi shook her head and grabbed his arm. "Dash, no… what if they shoot us? We shouldn't resist. It’s not like we’ve got anything to hide."

As Dash calmed down and assured Kimmi that he wouldn't do anything foolish, Luke was silently panicking. He watched the _Judicator_ steadily approaching them and agonized over what to do. He didn't care if the Emperor would feel it; he called out a single word to his father. _Master._ He then felt a dark, cold brushing sensation against his mind and knew his father had heard him. Everything would be ok.

"Why d'you think they're searching YT freighters?" Kimmi asked softly, looking around at everyone.

"I think I know," Luke said slowly, ignoring the foreboding feeling that had returned. Dash turned narrowed eyes to him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that they're… looking for me."

"You?" Krew asked, sounding astounded. "What could they possibly want wit' ya?"

Dash was standing up now. "I knew it! You're a criminal or something like that aren't you?"

"Not… exactly. Listen, I'm really sorry about this. I never intended for any of you to get hurt –"

"What have you done?" Dash interrupted, his face very angry now.

"Nothing! Listen to me!" Luke snapped back, also getting to his feet. He tried to pull down on his anger, but it wouldn't obey. "I'm Vader's apprentice. I wasn't supposed to be out today, and he must think… that you kidnapped me or something. I'll try to make him understand, but he's very paranoid and angry."

"Wait, hold up," Kimmi said. "Vader's apprentice? As in Vader's _Shadow?_ The Sith?"

"Yes." Luke said angrily. She didn't seem to understand how serious this was.

Indeed, her next question proved it; "So do you have a lightsaber?"

"I didn't bring a lightsaber to the race!" Luke snapped, carefully wording it so he could avoid admitting out loud that he didn't actually own a lightsaber.

"So let me see if I've got this straight," Dash said, shaking his head despairingly. "You're Darth Vader's Sith apprentice, and he's so protective of you that he's probably going to kill us all just for taking you out on a ride in my ship? Couldn't you have _mentioned_ that earlier?"

"Would I even be hanging out with you guys if I'd told you who I was?" Luke retorted.

To his surprise, Dash answered rather coldly. "No, you're right. You wouldn't be." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You do know there's a price on your head from the rebels don't you? I keep myself up to date with their dealings. You're unarmed; what's stopping us from taking you to them and collecting the bounty?"

"The fact that you're being beamed in by an Imperial Star Destroyer?" Luke suggested bitterly. "Listen I might be willing to help you guys wiggle your way out of the immediate death sentence Vader will issue the minute he sees you, but not if you're going to threaten me. I may not have a lightsaber right now, but that doesn't mean I'm not dangerous. Keep that in mind."

Dash fell silent at that point as they were about to board the _Judicator_ , but he didn't look less irritated. Kimmi, Krew and their other teammate whose name Luke couldn't even remember also looked frightened and angry. Sighing to himself, Luke reflected that turning to the dark side was the worst thing a person could ever do for their social life.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

As soon as Vader boarded his Star Destroyer he was informed that the _Millennium Falcon_ 's crew was being held in the detention level.

And as soon as he entered the cellblock an evil smile crept over his face, though it was invisible to his prisoners. It was perfect; they were all here. Organa, Solo, Calrissian and the wookiee looked up at him with varying degrees of wariness. Nobody had ever accused Vader of being patient, but _oh_ how he'd make sure their suffering would be slow. He'd enjoy breaking them all one by one for the numerous problems they had caused him –

He froze just then, realising how carried away he had gotten and his anger boiled fiercer than ever. Luke was not with them. Without even realizing what he was doing, he kicked Solo out of his way and advanced on the Princess, grabbing her by the arm and roughly shoving her against the wall of the cell.

"What have you done with my son, Organa?" He snarled. There was no need to be secretive; he was very aware that Luke's friends knew who his father was. Organa's eyes were wide with apprehension, but mostly surprise, as she answered him.

"What have _we_ done with him? The question is what have you done to him, Vader!"

"I will not ask you again!" Vader roared, pushing her even harder into the wall. "Where is Luke?"

At that moment, Solo appeared at Leia's side and interjected; "We don't know where he is, we thought he was with you! Now let Leia go!"

"Or what, Solo?" Vader snapped, and the smuggler fell silent. After a few moments, Organa responded, repeating Solo's information.

"We don't have Luke. He's not with us." She said quietly. As much as Vader hated to admit it, he felt that she wasn't lying. So he removed his hand from her and took a single long step back in order to glare at them all. There was something strange about Organa specifically. For one, she looked much more mature than last he'd seen her. He suspected it must have much to do with the fact that she'd apparently replaced Mon Mothma. But she really did look older, perhaps even wiser.

It took him a few more seconds to notice that she was wearing very different clothes than she usually was. Her customary outfits had never been on the very practical side; be it official gowns or any other type of Alderaanian clothing, but now she was wearing what looked like… a set of Jedi robes. Granted, they were still as white as all her clothes, but they definitely looked like robes, useful for combat and quick movements.

"I won't deny we were planning on contacting Luke, but we never managed to." Organa went on, keeping her gaze fixed on him.

Vader straightened, not amused. "And how where you planning on escaping afterwards? He would have turned you in to me at once."

"Are you sure?"

Admittedly, he was not, but they didn't have to know that. "Of course I am. He is my apprentice now, and he will never come to your side."

"He would, given the chance," the princess said smartly. "We were more of a family to him than you could ever be."

Enraged, Vader took a menacing step towards her. "You have no idea what you are talking about, Organa. Watch yourself." Solo, Calrissian and their wookiee companion all cried out as he grabbed Organa by the arm again, but she remained startlingly cool.

"I did not come here to fight you, Vader, but…" she glanced once over to Solo. "If I must, I will."

Vader released her arm and nearly let out a small derisive laugh, but stopped in his tracks when he saw what Organa was now holding in her hand. It was a lightsaber hilt of earthy tones with a slim black hilt. She'd probably been hiding it in the folds of her new robes. After a few moments, he actually did laugh. "You are more foolish than I thought," he said, hoping his nervousness was not perceptible. He refused to accept that Princess Leia could be the Force sensitive Luke had told him about. "You would surely lose against me."

Bowing her head slightly, the princess agreed. "I know. And my intention would not be to defeat you today. Just to let you know that we're not scared of you. I know more about you than you think, Vader."

"Silence!" Vader growled, effectively causing her to stop speaking. The dark, small room was suddenly colder. Vader could almost feel the Force swirling from Organa now; it was similar to Luke's presence in many ways, and yet he knew it was not the same one. "You know nothing." He repeated, even angrier than before. He didn't know what Organa was trying to pull, but he wasn't amused. "Now hand over that lightsaber before you hurt yourself."

The princess recoiled from his outstretched hand and shook her head. "It's mine. I made it."

"You're no Jedi," Vader snapped, annoyed more than ever. "I have never felt the Force around you. Your parents weren't Force-sensitive."

Organa seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then she said; "But you feel the Force around me now, don't you? As for my parents, you're right; Bail and Breha Organa weren't Force-sensitive. But they weren't my real parents either. My real father never knew he had a daughter, just as he never knew he had a son until years ago on the Death Star. My real father thought I died long ago with my mother…"

Her soft brown eyes were fixed on the empty sockets of Vader's mask, and for a moment as she spoke he saw Padmé instead. Their features were very similar; how was it that he'd never noticed it before? _No,_ he thought, stopping his train of thought. _She's lying! She must be!_ Unable to find anything to say to her, he called over her lightsaber from across the small cell, snatching it out of her hand. She protested, but he took several steps away from her until his back was to the door.

"I'll never call you father," she told him coldly. "And you'll never corrupt me like you did Luke. But if there's some part of Anakin Skywalker left inside you, please find it in yourself to do the right thing! I don't know where Luke is right now but he's obviously lost. Our family is broken but it's not too late to mend it – and it will never be too late, we just have to _tell Luke_. If you kill us, he'll never forgive you –"

"He'd never find out." Vader said quietly, horrified that his own voice sounded so weak at the moment. His brain felt like it was buzzing, echoing through his head, making all thought extremely difficult. It hadn't been this hard when he'd found out he had a son, but a _daughter_ … A woman he'd tortured, no less…

The princess had stopped talking, her mouth open in surprise. "You'd… You would kill your own daughter?"

"No," Vader quickly corrected, without even thinking it over first. The answer came naturally. He could never kill another member of his family. Never again would he be responsible for another death in his family! "Luke," he then said a little louder. "I must find Luke." His brain wasn't functioning correctly and, for the first time in years, he felt like he might be sick. That would surely be an unpleasant experience whilst wearing the mask.

Without really knowing why, he tossed Organa's lightsaber back to her and looked at her for several long seconds. She wasn't Padmé, but now that he knew, he could see his wife somewhere in her features. Suddenly he didn't want to leave anymore, afraid that if he left, she wouldn't be here upon his return. It was a sickening feeling, one he'd had quite enough of for at least ten lifetimes.

"Please don't leave," he said softly, or as softly as he could manage, before leaving the cell in direction of the bridge. It was then that he heard Luke's voice in his mind, and his presence stretched over the Force towards him.

_Master._

But Vader heard the word that was disguised underneath: 'Father'.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

 


	30. Chapter 30

Luke took matters into his own hands very quickly as the _Outrider_ landed in the large hangar of the Star Destroyer. He disembarked the YT freighter alone, calmly requested that the others remain on board and made his way towards the group of officials standing nearby. Then, he spotted the admiral thanks to the ensign on his uniform and met eyes with the man, who looked unnerved.

"Young man, we would prefer if you remained on your ship –"

"My name is Luke. I am Lord Vader's apprentice. I understand he is looking for me?"

The admiral exchanged a look with his first mate, obviously recognising him now. "My apologies. We… we didn't know what exactly he was looking for…"

"Well now you do," Luke told him. "Call off whatever searches you are conducting on other YT freighters and kindly inform my master that I'm not in any danger. I don't think anybody wants him to start ripping any throats out." The gruesome mental image did it; the admiral quickly gave his orders to the men around him and made sure everything was being taken care of before turning back to him.

"What of the _Outrider_ and its crew?"

"I think they had better leave," Luke said quickly. "I will deal with my master alone when he arrives."

"Very well…" The admiral said, looking him over closely. "Inform the freighter that they may leave!" He called out to his men. "Lord Vader is currently on the _Executor_. You could accompany me to the bridge if you wish to contact him –"

But the admiral's voice was cut off then by a sudden crashing sound. Everybody in the hangar looked about, alert and nervous, and it took several moments before anyone noticed that the Star Destroyer had lurched off to the left. The floor was indeed tilting, the force of the movement slowly dragging crates across the hangar. Stormtroopers and officers alike stumbled to catch their footing. It was amazing how little change the ground had to take on for everybody to lose their cool.

However it was with an estimable amount of cool that the admiral straightened and looked to Luke once again, as though his Star Destroyer regularly skewed out of orbit. "As I was saying, you may accompany me to the bridge in order to contact Lord Vader. We'll be able to find out what's happening to the ship, also. This way."

Luke followed him, staring around at the crew, who were busying themselves with the task of tethering some loose equipment. The atmosphere suddenly reminded him of an Imperial raid on a rebel base, except that now there were stormtroopers instead of X-Wing pilots hurrying about in the large hangar. A few moments later another crash resounded through the massive hull, and an ominous creaking sound lingered for some time. The next moment, the alarm went off throughout the ship.

"Oh dear," the admiral said, sounding at least a little worried now.

Luke said nothing but hurried up the pace until they reached a turbolift. A third and a fourth crash shook the ship, rattling everybody inside the lift, and it occurred to Luke that they must be under attack. The sounds were too persistent and irregular for it to be anything else. And if they _were_ under attack, it would be visible from afar.

_Master!_ He called out once again. _I'm alright._

He didn't dare add anything more in case the conversation wasn't entirely private, but he received a soft prod of acknowledgement that told him he'd been heard and understood, so that was a relief at least. The turbolift doors opened and Luke saw they had reached the bridge. He trailed behind the admiral much like he would have followed his father, and went to stand in the middle of the viewport.

Dozens of X-Wings flew about the Star Destroyer, circling it like flies, accompanied by a huge Mon Cal cruiser and a Corellian corvette. Compared to the Imperial presence around the planet, the Alliance's fleet was nothing short of laughable. But they had caught them unawares with their sudden attack and the _Judicator_ was under heavy fire, already suffering some very serious damage. By the time it would take to get all the TIE pilots ready and launch a reprisal, it would be far too late.

Luke gaped at the Alliance's fleet, at a loss as to why they would risk such a move here, and _today_ precisely. Even if they did manage to destroy the _Judicator_ , which was looking likelier by the second, they would then be faced by the _Executor_ itself, the two other Star Destroyers on the other side of the planet, as well as a flood of TIEs from Coruscant that were just waiting for the order to launch themselves at the rebels.

He couldn't help it; as he stared out into space, he imagined Han and Leia out there, minutes from death. He hated such negative thinking, but the fact remained that the rebels really didn't stand a chance –

A frightened voice from next to him tore him away from his worrying; the admiral had returned to his side. "Sir, the order to evacuate has just been given. You should head down while there are still escape pods left."

Luke blinked, only just realizing that he too was in mortal danger right now. The Star Destroyer could implode any minute now, and he was just standing here fretting about the fate of the rebels as though he had no sense of self-preservation at all. So he nodded and started to walk back towards the turbolift. It didn't escape his notice that the admiral didn't seem to be going anywhere though. "Aren't you coming?" He asked, holding the lift's door open.

"I must go down with the ship," The admiral replied solemnly.

"Is the _Judicator_ your ship?"

The admiral looked slightly surprised, perhaps at his question, but surely mostly because of the fact he was actually lingering to ask such questions. "Well… It doesn't belong to me, I’m simply the –"

"Well come on, then!" Luke said, annoyed. All this military protocol stuff was getting on his nerves. Vaguely he wondered why he was even trying to talk the man out of it, but the part of Luke that was still very much human refused to let another person die for no reason. Ignoring the fact that he'd actually, recently, murdered people, Luke repeated; "Come on!"

The admiral shook his head. "No. It is my duty and – and my _honour_ to remain with the ship." His voice was confident, but it still sounded very much recited to Luke, like something taken out of a military contract. The man didn't actually want to die with the ship, he just knew his punishment would be worse if he didn't.

"Look," Luke told him. "I'm not going to drag you to an escape pod if you don't want to come, but hear me out. It's so stupid! There's no reason you should just die here! Come with me; I won't let Vader do anything to you." He took a step further into the lift, but still kept an arm out to prevent the door from closing, and was pleased to see the admiral hesitate. A new, louder crash rattled the bridge, and the admiral twitched for a moment before sighing.

He did not speak, but ran to the elevator and got in beside Luke, who smirked and let the doors closed.

"You do know," the man told him after several moments, "that there are probably no more escape pods left anyway. Why did you take the time to get _me_ out of there?"

Luke stared at the doors in silence, waiting for them to open up again, and replied only once they were in the corridor containing escape pods. "I don't know. Does it even matter? Let's hurry…" They ran out in search of a pod. The corridor was rather long, and a low light kept flashing red in time with the high scream of the alarm. Some officers were visible at the end of the corridor and were just getting in a pod. As they neared, they saw that there were three remaining on this floor.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Luke glanced at the admiral. The man gave him a small smile. "Well, thank you anyway."

"Don't thank me yet," Luke said quickly, as another crashing sound made them both jump.

Pipes and other various debris were falling from the ceiling now. There were still several metres to go before they reached the closest available pod, when the whole ship seemed to rock back and forth, effectively letting the pull of gravity from Coruscant drag it downwards. Luke's stomach felt like it had risen into his throat, but that was nothing compared to the sensation he felt next.

He was forced to his knees as a large part of the ceiling came down, trapping his entire left arm underneath. He gave a cry of pain, partly from the sensation of having just banged his knees on the floor, but mostly from the metal crushing what felt like most of his hand, leaving him blind for a few moments. Once his vision had returned, though it was slightly blurry from tears, he turned his head to look.

There was nothing much to see; simply the large piece of metal pressing down just below the articulation of his shoulder. He could feel another, lighter part of the ceiling on his back, pushing his spine and ribcage into what felt like very vital organs, but he couldn't really remove it from his position. Besides, he thought he might soon pass out from the pain. Instinctively, he attempted to move at least some part of his left hand, but it didn't even feel as though he still had fingers to move. The movement sent a burst of pain up his arm and he gasped, flinching, suddenly more aware of himself than ever before.

His heartbeat was frantic, his breath came in short, raspy intakes, and his chin hurt as he scraped it across the ground, which was covered in broken shards of metal and transparisteel.

His ears were filled with a dull rumbling, but he could faintly hear someone calling to him. Looking up, he saw the form of the admiral crouching over him and, a little ways away, the door to the escape pod – to freedom. He let out a strangled gasp when the admiral tried to lift the metal on his arm, and then clenched his teeth, hissing through them; "Go! Just go!"

His voice sounded far away, the same as the admiral's did when he answered, "No!" Luke felt a pair of hands grasp the metal again and this time the whole thing lifted, though it moved something else downwards, further crushing the lower part of his arm.

Luke screamed, and felt more pain than he'd ever felt in his life before the whole world went black and silent.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The atmosphere on the bridge of the _Executor_ could only be described as mortified. All eyes were on the not-so-distant form of the Star Destroyer that was currently being ripped to shreds by the rebel fleet. Its hull was in flames, a large part of the tower had fallen right off, and it was barely hanging in orbit.

Vader was grateful that nobody could hear him when he hitched a breath; the _Judicator_ had just begun to implode, folding unto itself in a jarring, unpleasant manner. The last escape pods were making their way out from the wreckage now and Vader concentrated on them, trying to feel his son's presence. Luke had just communicated with him through the Force, letting him know he was there and that he was safe – surely he was already on board a pod.

He scanned all the approaching pods quickly, but was unable to detect his son. Bracing himself, he turned his attention to the quickly collapsing ship, and found Luke. Vader's heartbeat increased tenfold for a moment, before it was recalibrated by his breathing apparatus. What in all of space was Luke still doing on board the ship?

Not for the first time today, Vader clenched his fists, swearing his vengeance to the entire universe if anything should happen to his son –

And he felt him. For a moment, Luke's presence leaped out at him frantically, in great pain and feeling terrified, before vanishing completely.

"No…" Vader said, choked. He reached out into the Force, not caring that Palpatine would know it, but felt nothing. There was only the princess' presence a few floors below him, but nothing that even remotely pointed towards Luke's survival. No light piercing the darkness in Vader's own soul…

"NO!" He repeated louder, startling all the people around him. After watching the wreckage of the _Judicator_ for several more instances, Vader turned around to leave the bridge. An unlucky officer who found himself in Vader's way was pushed against the wall and throttled with the Force, causing all other men around him to stagger away in fear.

Only Admiral Piett had the courage to approach him. "Orders, My Lord?"

"Retaliate," Vader snapped. "I want all of them dead!" Piett nodded with wide eyes, having never seen Vader this agitated, and jumped out of his way when the Sith stalked towards the door. Each of Vader's breaths growled as he stormed back down to the detention level. He wasn't sure what he would say, or if he could control himself if he got angry, but this couldn't wait.

He pushed some stormtroopers out of his way as he entered the room and walked decisively towards the correct cell, which he burst into after unlocking the door. All its occupants jumped up and backed away, as they had been sitting on the floor in a tight circle. Vader had eyes only for the princess however.

"What is your rebel fleet doing here?" He demanded in a tone of voice that left nothing to interpretation. She was to tell the truth, or else.

The princess shot a wide-eyed look at Solo before responding. "What? They were waiting for us near Carida! They weren't supposed to show up unless we contacted them!"

"And you didn't?" Vader asked sceptically.

"No! Wh – what did they…?"

"They have just destroyed the _Judicator_." Vader informed them. They were silent, which he'd expected, so he added; "Did you feel the Force? A minute ago…"

The princess' eyes were downcast, and she spoke softly. "Yes I felt it. Many people died on the destroyer, didn't they?"

Vader held his breath for as long as his helmet allowed him to. He couldn't care less about anybody else who had died when the ship had imploded, when the only person that mattered had just been ripped away from him. But it appeared that Organa had not particularly felt that one presence. Slowly, Vader enlightened her; "Luke was on board."

Organa's hands flew to her face and covered her mouth as she let out a soft gasp. Vader held her gaze firmly, though he knew she could not see it, and she remained frozen until Solo spoke up, obviously not as gullible as her.

"You're bluffing! Trying to soften Leia up to you…" The smuggler stated angrily, walking up closer to Organa and placing a protective hand on her shoulder. Vader nearly snapped at him to shut up, but the distant expression in the princess' eyes gave him pause. She was feeling around the Force now, to see if Vader was telling the truth. And that was when all doubt was removed from Vader's mind. Leia Organa _was_ his daughter.

If she was aware of the revelation Vader had just felt, she didn't show it, instead focusing her gaze back on the black mask's sockets. "He's not lying Han," she said quietly. "I can't feel Luke at all." At these words, the wookiee in the corner of the room let out a wail, and Calrissian hung his head.

Han Solo was the only one who didn't act like they were attending a funeral. "I don't believe this! You're some father, Vader –"

"Watch yourself, Solo!" Vader interjected angrily, his head snapping around to glare at the man. "I’m hardly to blame for what happened."

"Well it sure as heck wasn't Luke's fault!" The Corellian retorted hotly. Amazingly, he took a step in front of Organa. "If you hadn't corrupted him in the first place –"

This time it wasn't Vader who interrupted him, but Organa. "Han," she said softly. "Don't. It's not helping."

She was easier to read than Luke had been, Vader found as he invaded her mind and found what she was feeling. There was still a part of her that resented Vader, perhaps also blamed him for Luke's loss, but the larger part of her emotions right now was grief. She wished she could have seen Luke again, told him she was his sister and known he was happy again. She wished her brother could have told her his reasons for joining their father, and… she wished she could still reason with Vader.

Backing away from her thoughts, Vader closed his eyes. He still did not allow himself to feel the full effect of grief, but it was there, threatening to burst each time he thought about it. The memory of the last time he'd thought his son was dead came back to him, and for a moment he let himself believe that perhaps he had also survived this time, by some miracle or another… He then growled at himself. It would be foolish to hope for a miracle. Vader had believed Luke to be dead last time because the boy had _hidden_ from him. This time there was no reason to pretend.

He jumped out of his thoughts when he realised Princess Leia had gotten closer and was looking at him again. Solo had tried to stop her, but she calmly pushed his hand back, though Vader noticed how she reassuringly squeezed it beforehand. The gesture was subtle, and strangely reminiscent of one of Padmé's touches while in company. Vader glared daggers at Solo, even though the man couldn't know where he was looking, hoping for the smuggler's sake that he hadn't dared to lay even one of his grubby paws on his daughter…

"Vader," the Alderaanian princess started rather awkwardly. "What are we going to do now? There's no point in staying inside this cell forever."

" _I_ ," Vader corrected, "must supervise the retaliation on the rebel forces. You will all remain here until –"

"No." Organa said harshly. "If you want to attack the Alliance's fleet, the least you could do is let us return to lead it. It's only fair."

"As fair as your fleet's surprise attack on the _Judicator_?" Vader questioned bitterly. "Besides, it would be quite out of character for me to act fairly regarding a situation such as this. The order has already been given; your fleet doesn't stand a chance."

"You're being stubborn!"

"A family trait, princess," he hissed, surprising even himself at the acknowledgement that they were indeed related. "What would _you_ suggest we do, then?"

"A truce," she offered quickly. "A temporary truce, just to allow us to leave. If, as you said, your order has already been given, our fleet will already have sustained heavy losses –"

"Which still would not be equal to the loss of a whole Star Destroyer –"

Organa went on as if he'd never spoken; "– and we would not be of any threat to you. We would both retreat, giving each other time to grieve and reassemble. Does that sound like something you can work with?"

"Absolutely not," Vader said impatiently. "It is not my judgement that comes first, but the Emperor's. He would not be pleased if I let you get away."

"Haven't you been hiding Luke's identity from him all this time? He was never announced as being your son." She paused to look him over closely, though there wasn't much body language to go with. "The Emperor doesn't know does he?"

"He does not," Vader admitted reluctantly. "But this detail doesn't make your offer fair."

At this Organa sighed and looked away for a moment. She exchanged glances with Solo, who was still frowning angrily, and Calrissian who was trying to make himself look as small as possible. Then suddenly, the Princess looked back at Vader. "What if I were to surrender myself in exchange for you letting the fleet go in peace?"

Before Vader could do more than stare at her, Solo interjected once again. "Leia, no!"

She ignored him. "You'd try to turn me into a Sith wouldn't you?"

"No," Vader said, sure of himself. "The Emperor would never allow it. He'd force me to kill you."

A silence, then; "Would you?" Leia prompted.

Vader couldn't honestly say yes or no this time. Usually he'd simply reply that he could not disobey a direct order from his Master, but this situation was more complicated than that. Ever since he'd met Luke, his ultimate rule had changed; he was only just realising this now. He could not kill his child, or let his child come to harm. But could a Sith perform a selfless act of any kind to save his child from his master? That was the real question.

He'd been silent for too long: his daughter's eyes were hardened now, her jaw squared. Suddenly, for the first time, he could see Anakin Skywalker in her features. When she spoke, it was with the detached tone of a Jedi that he had grown to hate so much. "I'm going to assume that means yes." She sighed then. "If… If Luke were still here there might still be a chance to save you. I still want to try, but… Master Yoda told me you were lost, both you and Luke."

"Luke wasn't lost," Vader heard himself say.

"What?" Her eyes softened a little.

"Luke was not a Sith yet. He… still hesitated to use the dark side, still felt unsure about his power."

"Then he could have saved you…" The Princess reasoned softly.

"No," Vader told her harshly. "You do not understand. I am a Sith; nothing anybody can do will change that."

They stared at each other for a long time then, and for one of the first times Vader could feel some form of understanding flow between them. She was still wary of him of course, and he knew she didn't trust him for a second, but... she might be ready to believe him. But then Solo had to stick his two credits in, too; "I don't think arguing about this is gonna help us get out of here."

Vader growled at him. "You are not a part of this discussion Solo, no matter how highly you think of yourself." He then looked back at his daughter, who was still wearing a very wary look. "I… will let you all leave. The Emperor might have found out about Luke anyway with the way we were all shouting at each other through the Force. He… I don't know what will happen, but I must face the consequences alone." With those words, his tone of voice final, he turned to open the door to the corridor outside.

Solo, Calrissian and the wookiee all edged towards it, but Organa had not budged. "I lost my brother today Vader. I won't let you die for nothing too, no matter how much of a Sith you are." She said the word 'Sith' like an insult, staring Vader down as she did, and he was forced to sigh at her approvingly.

"You have your mother's determination," he said quietly as he walked out into the corridor, followed by his prisoners. The wookiee was still in cuffs for security reasons, but Vader, to at least gain a little of his trust, undid them before leading the way to the hangar where the _Millennium Falcon_ was being held.

There weren't that many people in this part of the ship, which was still locked in combat with the rebellion. This whole situation was finally starting to at least make some kind of sense; the pain of losing Luke was still there, throbbing powerfully in the depths of Vader' heart, surging to the forefront of his mind whenever he thought about it, but at least he was _doing_ something now, and the sudden appearance of another child, a daughter, affected him more than he cared to analyse. He would face the Emperor and probably die, but he'd do it knowing he'd at least done something right by one of his children in letting Leia get away.

_Leia…_ It was the first time he referred to her as such in his mind, and now it felt right. She was no longer 'Organa' or 'the Princess' to him, but his own flesh and blood, just as Luke had been… Another rush of pain swelled within him at the thought of Luke, so he quelled his thoughts, watching Leia and her companions board the _Falcon_. His daughter turned large brown eyes to him one last time worriedly, silently pleading for him not to sacrifice himself needlessly, wordlessly asking him when they would see each other again.

But neither of them said anything, and Vader simply gave her a small nod. The corners of her lips twitched, causing some long-ignored emotion to stir inside Vader.

And then, just before the hatch closed, Solo had to ruin everything once again. "See ya around, Vader!" He called out with a sneer.

"You –" Vader began, pointing a finger dangerously at the smuggler, but was interrupted as the hatch closed and the ship took off moments later. Sighing angrily, Vader walked out of the hangar towards a turbolift. He'd a least make a detour by the bridge to catch up on the situation before deciding anything.

And then, just as everything was indeed starting to make sense again, something happened that made it all come back out of balance.

A tech officer approached with caution, having probably been informed of Vader's particularly murderous mood at the moment, and cleared his throat. "Lord Vader," he saluted. "We've been trying to reach you for several minutes. Your apprentice has been retrieved from an escape pod and is currently in the medibay. He was found in company of Admiral Brandei –"

"You mean to tell me he is alive?" Vader snarled, hoping for the tech officer's sake he wasn't simply being vague. What in hells did 'retrieved from his escape pod' mean? Did that mean he'd been safely rescued, or that his body had been found?

"Y – yes, Lord Vader, he is, but…." The man stuttered, and Vader marched off without another word. He heard the man call after him, "Ah – Lord Vader, what about the rebel attack?"

"They will undoubtedly cease fire and attempt an escape shortly," he said off-handedly over his shoulder. "Report to the bridge; call off our forces." Leaving the man behind, Vader then practically ran to the turbolift, which was full of stormtroopers. It was only then that he realised the tech officer had added a tiny 'but' at the end of his sentence about Luke being alive. Vader's stomach dropped a little as he stared at the flashing numbers near the ceiling.

Turbolifts really didn't move quickly enough.

**.**

**.**

What the tech officer had meant by 'but' became very clear once Vader laid eyes on his son. Luke had been deposited on a stretcher and the upper part of his clothing, or rather what was left of it, had been removed. His chest was covered in scars, burns and bruises, but Vader knew their training sessions had been the cause of those. Instead his eyes lingered on the bandages around his stomach, the left side of his ribcage and…

The mutilated part of his upper arm.

Luke's left arm had apparently been torn clean off, with only about half of the upper arm remaining. Bandages covered the whole area, but they were tinged red just like the ones on his torso. As Vader's gaze travelled upwards he saw that the left side of Luke's face also bore several fresh scars; one that passed very close to his ear, one that descended from the outer corner of his eye all the way to his neck and a third that passed right through his lip diagonally.

Understandably, his son was still unconscious. Tubes were being fed into his body, and a heart rate monitor had been placed nearby. As soon as Vader stopped close to Luke's side and stared down at him, a medic approached.

"Will he live?" Vader asked, before the doctor had time to say anything.

Anxiously, it seemed, the medic answered; "Yes, we think he will."

"You _think_?"

"We can never be certain, Lord Vader," the man said quickly. "But the worst is behind him; he's very lucky to be alive. We had to amputate what was left of the arm, but his injuries are not life-threatening. However, if Admiral Brandei had not saved him…"

"Where is the admiral?" Vader demanded, albeit a little more softly now. The medic nodded and signalled to the man, who had been standing a small distance away. Brandei saluted to Vader at once when he came over, and the Sith noticed he looked very uneasy.

"Tell me what happened, Admiral."

Brandei nodded and immediately began to speak. "The order to evacuate had just been given, and I urged your apprentice, um… Luke. I urged him to escape in a pod. But he insisted that I come with him, which I finally did since he refused to go anywhere until I agreed not to stay and go down with the ship." At this, Vader shook his head slightly and looked down at Luke. It certainly sounded like the kind of selfless, foolish thing his son would do. The admiral went on; "Before we could reach the escape pods however, part of the ceiling caved in on him and trapped his arm. I was able to remove the rubble and drag him – he was already unconscious by the point – to the pod. I think, if we'd taken a minute longer, we'd certainly both be dead."

Vader was silent for a moment. "Your orders were to go down with the ship." He said, not understanding why an Imperial Admiral of Brandei's stature would risk such defamation for someone like Luke, Vader's apprentice.

In response, Brandei blinked twice. "Are you sorry he survived?"

"Not at all," Vader assured him. "I simply wish to understand."

"Well…" Brandei hesitated. "He was very persuasive."

"That he is," Vader acknowledged, and a small smile graced his lips.

"We saved each other's lives," Brandei said, to conclude. "And for that he has earned my loyalty and respect."

"I see," Vader said, eyeing the man. "We shall see what to do about you later, Admiral Brandei. But for now remain here. I will return after ensuring everything on the bridge is well." He had the courtesy to wait for the admiral and the medic to nod before leaving.

He glanced again at the sleeping form of his son, unable to look away from the maimed part of his arm. He knew from first-hand experience how much it hurt to lose a limb, and now Luke had shared that same pain twice.

At last, Vader tore his eyes away and left the medibay. He had better contact Palpatine soon, now that he thought of it. His master would not be pleased for many reasons; missing the Empire Day ball was a definite faux-pas alone, so failing to capture the rebels while they got away with destroying an entire Star Destroyer… Oh, he'd never hear the end of that one…

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Murmuring voices and a warm, soft feeling surrounded him. The voices weren't irritating and weren't what had woken him up, rather they felt comforting, or much more comforting than silence would have been. He lingered a little longer in a state of semi-consciousness, trying to recall where he was. It didn't feel like he was in his usual bed in his father's castle, where he was expecting to be… Which meant…

He remembered; Empire Day had already happened. He'd been to the race, gotten on a ship, and then –

Pain.

His head throbbed painfully and his eyes finally snapped open. All he could see for a moment was blinding white, and he felt a slight rush as clear sound returned to his ears. His first thought was that he must be dead. Only… was death supposed to be so painful? And then he recalled what had happened, just as his vision adjusted. He remembered the ceiling caving in and trapping his arm, the admiral trying to free him.

And now suddenly he was aware of his surroundings. Groggily he looked around and realised he was in a medibay. The voices he'd been hearing were simply medics and other patients, all speaking in hushed tones.

"Ah, you're awake," somebody said very closely to Luke's right ear. He jumped slightly and tried to turn on his side to better look at the person, but two things prevented him from doing so. For starters he felt like he'd been tied down, and also, as soon as he tried to move his upper body a harsh twinge of pain ran through him. Letting out a gasp, he settled back down on his back slowly.

"Don't move!" Said the person hurriedly. Luke cracked an eye open and recognized the admiral from the _Judicator_.

"So… You got me out of there?" He asked, speaking as clearly as he could through two grunts of pain.

"Do you need more pain meds?" The admiral asked anxiously, glancing over for a medic.

Luke shook his head very slowly. "I don't want any." He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, and then turned his head the other way to look at his left arm. What he saw made him feel even worse, if possible. His entire arm was missing, and wrapped in bloody bandages. He now understood why the pain had been so intense. Losing his hand to his father's blade hadn't been nearly as painful.

He gasped again, thinking of his father. Did his father even know what had happened? He turned to the admiral again. "Vader! Where's Vader?"

"Oh he stopped by a nearly two hours ago. But he said he'd be back."

"Was he very angry?"

The admiral looked surprised at this question. "It's a little hard to tell but I don't think so… Why?"

"Doesn't matter," Luke grunted, turning his head away so the man wouldn't talk to him now. He felt sick to his stomach. Why had he insisted on saving this man? He'd still have his arm for one thing. Maybe he'd still been irritated by Dash Rendar's assumption that he was a bad person. Maybe he'd just felt like doing something selfless, good…

Stupid. That was the word his father would use. His _stupid_ feelings of compassion had not gained him anything this time – and come to think of it, had they ever really? Had it really been worth losing an arm to save the admiral? The man was an Imperial, and most certainly would not have done the same for him. As Luke looked over to the man again, he found that he didn't particularly care whether he survived or not. He realised that he wouldn't even care if the man had died to save him.

But he hadn't been saved, not really. Ignoring the pain, he stretched his neck to look at the empty space where his arm should be. The anger he felt was intense. He was sick of having bad things happen to him all the time because he hesitated, or always fought to do 'the right thing'. What _was_ the right thing when it really came down to it? Saving other people's lives? Why?

The Luke Skywalker from yesterday, or this morning, would have recoiled at these thoughts a moment later, would have tried to repress them as mere doubts.

But Luke was no longer that Luke. He tried to imagine what he'd feel like if the admiral had died, and found he couldn't tell the difference. A new thought struck him; Han and Leia were probably dead too. It had apparently been hours since his accident, so there had been plenty of time for the Empire to crush the rebel ships by now. What if they were dead, Luke reflected. What did it change? He couldn't have returned to them anyway, couldn't have saved them…

And his place was still with his father. They had to defeat the Emperor and take his place. For the first time ever, the thought was alluring to Luke. He yearned for it with all his being. _Destiny_. For the first time in his life, that word had meaning. The thought of saving his father appeared foolish now, and he realised he'd been stupid to think he could succeed. If _this_ was what the real power of the dark side felt like, Luke was sold.

The Force ran through him all the way to his remaining extremities. And he was lying on a stretcher with an arm missing at the moment, so he could only imagine what it would feel like later when he was back to full health, perhaps with a lightsaber of his own. A shiver ran through him now as he realised he finally understood what his father had been trying to teach him all this time. What it meant to be a Sith.

Was he a Sith now? He didn't know… The thought was still uncomfortable, so he supposed not. But he wasn't afraid of the possibility anymore, that much he knew.

Luke closed his eyes again and sighed, a slow smile tugging at his lips. His anger at losing an arm had dissipated now, replaced by eagerness to return to his father and his training, and he felt quite at ease. And he became aware suddenly that his father had felt he was awake now. The Sith Lord was on his way.

It took what felt like several minutes of waiting, but finally the sound of Vader's breathing filled the room and he appeared in Luke's field of vision.

"Luke," Vader said at once. "How do you feel?"

The question tugged at Luke, irritating him. He wasn't a child. "Fine," he answered quickly. "Well I'm obviously not fine, but I'll be okay I guess." They regarded each other curiously in silence, but the moment was lost when the admiral spoke.

"I'll leave if you want some privacy…" The man said a little awkwardly.

"Admiral Brandei saved your life." Vader stated coolly, still looking down at Luke. "Usually he would have to explain himself for abandoning ship…" His baritone voice trailed off slowly, and Luke understood his meaning. His father wanted to see if Luke would ask him to spare the man.

Luke shrugged. "Don't ask me; do what you have to do."

He felt a slight tremor coming from his father, who then shook his head. "His life is in your hands."

Blinking once, Luke shook his head. "I don't want that decision to be mine." For once in his life, he actually felt a desire to punish someone. Maybe it was wrong to rationalise that it was the admiral's fault he'd lost his arm, but that was what Luke couldn't help but think. He felt like he _wanted_ to kill the admiral, and the thought frightened him right now. As powerful as he'd been feeling a few minutes ago, he now felt tiny, staring upwards at his Sith Lord father.

"You do not care if I kill him?" Vader asked in a calm tone. Luke's eyes zipped over to stare at the admiral who looked quite unnerved at the thought of his fate being decided right in front of him by two Sith.

"No! Don't –" Luke tried to sit up and fell back down, wincing. "Don't… just let him be…" He murmured, turning his head away from Vader.

"Then what should we do?" Vader demanded now, a little more harshly.

"Make him a captain – give him a new Star Destroyer – hells, give him a whole legion of _Executors_ , or _something_! The man risked his life to save mine. That's more than anyone in this whole damn military can say." Luke blurted this all out, head snapping back to face his father, and realised only once he was done that everybody in the medibay had stopped to stare anxiously. Patients obviously weren't in the habit of shouting at their gathered well-wishers. And nobody present could honestly say they'd ever seen anybody shouting at Darth Vader.

All eyes were on the black-clad Sith, awaiting what was surely to be a violent reaction. However, Vader spoke very smoothly next, barely moving at all.

"Admiral Brandei will be given a position here on the _Executor_ then. Consider yourself lucky," he then grumbled, pointing at the man. Brandei gave a few hasty nods.

"Thank you, My Lord. I am truly honoured –"

Luke cut across him, annoyed by this whole situation. "So what now?" He was annoyed that he still wanted to do good by the admiral and allow him to live. That irritating hiss of a voice he knew to be the dark side had returned, and was already reprimanding him for the decision.

After a moment, Vader snapped at everyone around them. "Get back to work!" When all the medics and patients had hastily looked away and started talking amongst themselves again, Vader answered. "We will return to the planet as soon as you can be moved."

"Will we have to meet the Emperor as soon as –"

"Now is not the time to discuss this."

Luke sighed. "Fine. When will I get a replacement for my arm?"

"I am having one made for you as we speak. It will be fitted to you soon."

Luke nodded grumpily, suddenly awkward again. There were so many things he wanted to say to Vader, and he suspected his father had many questions too, but it really wasn't the place. Admiral Brandei was still sitting there listening in, and there were too many random people around anyway. The steady rocking of the ship and the dose of meds he'd already received were making him sleepy right now, and he yawned.

"I want to sleep," he informed his father, who simply nodded.

"I will be back later," he said calmly. However, a moment later his voice entered Luke's mind; _'I think the Emperor knows.'_ With that, Vader turned heel and left the medibay. Luke scowled after him.

How was he supposed to sleep now?

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

 


	31. Chapter 31

As a general rule, it would be unwise to assume that Darth Vader could feel anything resembling nervousness. However, that was exactly what the Sith Lord was feeling as he marched out of the medibay. He'd felt a rather unhealthy amount of various emotions today, and that fact alone sickened him to no end. He was… exasperated by his children and their maddening ability to bring out a side of him that he tried so hard to bury. But he really couldn't deny their effect on him anymore.

Just the fact that Luke was alive made him slacken his shoulders and stop in the middle of the corridor to breathe. It was thankfully abandoned, and he remained there for a long time, wishing as he often did that he could just shut everybody else out. But whatever he did, he could not escape the present situation. Palpatine was no doubt attempting to contact him right now, as the news of what had transpired above Coruscant would have reached the Imperial Palace. Vader had no idea of the present time, but the Empire Day celebrations were certainly over.

If that was the case, then there wasn't much time left. He had to get Luke's new arm ready and then they would report back to the palace. That would not allow for a lot of time to discuss things with his son, Vader reflected. For the first time ever, he was actually extremely worried about facing his master with Luke.

Something had been… different, about Luke just now. His reactions to today's events had even surprised him, and the boy had demonstrated an extraordinary amount of anger. Vader had felt it simmering beneath the surface, seen how Luke had apparently decided to embrace the dark side. Perhaps the accident had made him realise how foolish his altruistic actions really were.

Vader growled softly at this thought; trying to help others always got his son into trouble. If losing a whole arm was what it took to make him understand that… Well, Vader could sympathise. He'd lost _everything_ he'd ever cherished as punishment for trying to put others' lives before his own. That kind of attitude was most unbefitting for a Sith.

A new thought struck him now – he'd told Leia that Luke had not been a Sith. This had been true earlier, mostly when they all believed him to be dead, but was it still the case now? Had Luke finally taken that last step and joined Vader in the darkness?

If so, then Palpatine's end drew near.

**.**

**.**

As it happened, Vader actually managed to avoid having to talk to Palpatine in person until the time came for he and Luke to return to the planet. Unfortunately, they were accompanied by too many troops for them to safely discuss the matter at hand. Vader could sense his son's apprehension, but it was less frantic that it used to be. Luke was ready to face whatever happened, and for that Vader felt a slight rush of pride

Maybe he'd been wrong to tell the boy that the Emperor knew. He hadn't been reckless enough to risk saying much more, but maybe he should have… Luke was obviously under the impression that they were off to fight Palpatine right this moment. Of course, they couldn't yet be sure that they weren't, but Vader preferred not to think about it.

He hadn't actually talked to his master, but he had to assume that the old Sith had felt them all shouting at each other so loudly through the Force – he must have _felt_ the connection they had with each other. And so, Palpatine must know there was something else in the works. Whether or not he had pieced it all together and knew that Luke was his son, well that was another story.

For one thing, Luke was in no shape to fight anyone right now. The replacement arm wasn't ready yet so the medic had simply tightly bandaged his mutilated left shoulder, leaving Luke standing awkwardly there with only one arm. Anybody else observing him probably would not notice, but Vader knew the storm raging inside. He himself was no stranger to that particular feeling.

His son was exhausted, and grumpy at the thought of having to go meet the Emperor. It was only once they were finally alone at the top of the steps leading to the palace that Luke took the opportunity to express his discomfort.

"Couldn't this wait until tomorrow?" He was gritting his teeth, and avoiding Vader's gaze.

"I suggest you change your attitude when we are in the Emperor's presence, Luke. He's likely to be angrier than you've ever seen him."

"This is ridiculous. Are you going to _tell_ him what… what I did today?"

In the large shadow of the palace, Luke was barely visible. A silence followed his question and then, as he moved, his eyes and scars, still shiny and raw, caught the light from the distant Imperial City. After sucking in a breath, Vader grumbled; "And what did you do today exactly?"

"Don't answer my questions with another question," Luke snapped. "I hate that."

"Well, I hate how you think you can do whatever you want with no thought of the consequences!" Vader growled now, taking a step forwards so his son was forced to retreat even further into the shadowy corner at the top of the stairs. "Luke," he then sighed, noticing how the boy recoiled after the outburst, "we are both in a great deal of trouble right now and it won't help if we argue over it. We shall discuss this later. Now, let's go inside."

With a non-committal shrug that wasn't entirely effective due to his one missing arm, Luke did as he was told. Vader wished they could have remained at the top of the staircase and discussed this a little longer, but from this distance, the pressing issue of Palpatine's anger could no longer be ignored. It practically slithered through the air and hissed at them undisguised. Vader had to suppress a grimace.

The ceiling-high doors to the throne room were already open, and no guards were visible – not a good sign. Palpatine only dismissed the guards in situations that were very private. The extent of his dark powers was not common knowledge.

It was even darker within the throne room, and Luke immediately fell into place behind Vader. He had never appeared so very diminutive before. Vader's footsteps echoed around them, but Luke treaded softly. Vader's grating breaths were long, loud and erratic, whereas Luke's were tiny, steady and contained. Even his presence in the Force had withered away.

They finally reached the dais upon which the Emperor's throne, and the man himself, was seated and Vader sank to the ground briefly, letting his knee touch the ground for a moment before pulling back up. His intention was not to anger his master further, but establishing a submissive front right now was much less appealing. Luke however, performed his regular bow, crouching to the ground next to Vader until the tips of his hair rested on the tile floor.

"Lord Vader," Palpatine croaked from his elevated position. "How good of you to finally find the time to meet me." It was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic on purpose, but the words were still laced with contempt. Before Vader could find a suitable answer however, the elderly Sith went on; "And young Luke. I see you managed to return from your little escapade intact, for the most part."

His voice had changed slightly and he now sounded bored. Vader turned his head minutely just in time to see Luke rising on shaky legs.

"Explain yourself," the Emperor hissed now. Vader didn't need to ask to know that the question was directed at him.

"The rebels mounted a surprise attack. In the aftermath of the destruction, they got away."

"I was told that you ordered our troops to retreat!" Palpatine spat, his voice poisonous.

Vader made a face behind his mask. There was no point in lying if the Emperor already knew, he supposed. So he spoke firmly; "The rebels knew they were defeated. They were already leaving when I gave that order. And Lu– _my apprentice_ was in mortal danger."

A dangerous silence rang through the room then, and ended when Vader was forced to take a breath. He stared up at his master and saw that his teeth were bared in a truly feral expression. "And what, pray tell, made you think that _Luke_ was more important than capturing the rebels? Than hundreds of imperial soldiers' lives?"

There was no doubt in Vader's mind that Palpatine didn't give a damn about the hundreds of imperial soldiers who had lost their lives today, and he certainly didn't miss the slip with Luke’s name. Vader shook himself; he could not afford to be distracted. He must tread carefully now.

To be safe he remained silent, waiting to hear what else Palpatine knew.

"Well," the Emperor growled. He actually rose from his seat and began to descend the steps of the dais slowly. "Would you like to know what I think? I think you are both liars and filthy little schemers. I think you are plotting treason and should be punished."

"Master, I –" Vader began to speak, unsure of what he was going to say in his defence, merely attempting to lessen his imminent punishment, but was interrupted. In a movement that seemed far too quick for the old man, Palpatine threw himself forward and raised a hand. The next thing Vader saw was the ground as he fell to his knees, practically knocked off his feet by the strength of the push.

It had been so long since Palpatine had used the Force against him, but the humiliation that accompanied the gesture remained the same even after all these years. As he came back to his senses he felt a twinge of panic when he realised that Luke was crouching beside him and had placed a nervous hand on his arm. Vader jumped away from the touch, but it was useless to hope that Palpatine had not seen it.

"So…" The Emperor hissed with a decidedly irritated glint in his eye. "My suspicions were not entirely unfounded. Tell me Lord Vader, what is this boy's _true_ appeal?"

With a little struggling, Vader managed to get back up. He threw an arm out so that Luke backed away from him. "The same as always, Master. He will become more powerful than either of us."

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Palpatine snarled. "Only, I fear his loyalty may be, for the moment, misplaced." He watched for a minute as Vader regained his stance, then turned his cruel eyes on Luke. "You swore loyalty to this Empire, boy. To _me_. Now is your chance to prove it." His ochre gaze lingered on Luke for a rather long moment before he turned away and reclaimed his seat on the throne.

He looked both of them over a moment more, before uttering his one order. "Fight."

"What?" Luke asked softly, as though afraid that he wasn't allowed to. Vader cringed interiorly.

"Fight!" Palpatine repeated. "I grow tired of this deceitful game you two have decided to pull. My word is law, you should know that, and so I order you to fight for your right to remain in this city and in my presence!"

Ever so slowly, Vader turned his masked face to his son and was surprised to see hard determination flash in the boy's eyes. Apparently the thought of having to prove himself was more appealing than ever to him today. And with reason, Vader realised, for this time the antagonist wasn't him, but the elderly Sith that had the upper hand over them both.

Still, Vader was unnerved. Luke had no weapon, and was surely still, however mildly, under the effects of painkillers. He began to pace around his son, glancing briefly in Palpatine's direction to find that his master's face bore a deep expression of anticipation mixed with some degree of impatience. Certainly the Emperor did not wish for their fight to be to the death? He would have informed them of this detail if he did, would have told them that only one of them could remain alive.

Did he then wish to see if Vader would kill his apprentice for him? Or if Luke would attempt to kill Vader to prove his loyalty?

Vader was not sure what to think as he drew his lightsaber and stared right back into Luke's hard blue eyes, but his son had a look that suggested he knew exactly what was going to happen.

**.**

**.**

Luke had to suppress the urge to flinch when his father pulled his lightsaber out from the depths of his cloak and switched it on. The low red light accentuated the overall jaggedness of his father's appearance, making him seem all the more impressive, and all the less conquerable. However he did his best to keep up a calm and confident face as he mimicked his father's slow circular movements.

Without a weapon of his own and missing an arm, Luke had to admit he must look very puny indeed; no match at all for a seasoned Sith Lord such as Darth Vader. But he shot what he hoped was a hard, determined look at the black mask facing him, silently letting Vader know that he trusted him.

The Emperor had not been very explicit, and so Luke could not be sure if they would both walk out of this chamber alive after the impending fight, but he still dared to hope…

His mind was still drowsy from painkillers, despite the seriousness of the situation, but a sharp jab in the Force told him that his father was about to attack. A strobe of red light filled his vision, twirling about several times before striking, and he jumped nimbly out of the way.

However, this was not like any of their practice sessions. Vader didn't lose a beat, leaving Luke little to no time to prepare himself for the next assault. Soon it became a very real, and particularly dangerous, game of stab and evade; the Sith's movements relentless against Luke who, with a missing limb, could only hope his sense of balance and his agility would not fail him at the wrong moment.

Luke attempted to use his one hand to control what little of the Force he had access to in his weakened state, forcing it to shield him from Vader's hits, but was practically hopeless. The intimidating buzz of his father's lightsaber was all he could hear over his own rapid intakes of breath, and he was sweating already, causing his bandages to stick to his skin in a most annoying and itchy way.

It was impossible to read his father at the moment, and it even pained him to try. Vader was resolute, having disconnected himself from his feelings in order to obey Palpatine's wishes. If Luke wasn't careful, the elderly Sith may soon have what he wanted: proof of Vader's loyalty, in the form of Luke's death…

Luke snarled and rolled away from a particularly close shave with the tip of Vader's weapon, shaking his head to get his sweaty hair out of his eyes. He wasn't going to let himself be killed by his father! With a new shout of anger, Luke ran towards the bulky Sith, hoping to surprise him with a sudden offensive move. Indeed, for a moment, Vader's guard faltered. But at the last moment he raised an arm and easily struck Luke with his empty hand, sending him flying a few meters away.

The world swirled and sounds and colours were lost to him for a moment as he gasped in pain. He'd fallen on his bad side and was sure he'd felt some stitches rip somewhere in the vicinity of his ribcage, but he had managed to throw his good hand out to protect his maimed shoulder. He caught his breath, shaking tears from his eyes this time, rolled onto his back and stared.

Vader was standing over him, his lightsaber raised, ready to stab downwards and end the unfair battle for good. But the blow didn't come. Darkness curled through the air between them, hissing that this was _right_ , that the Sith Lord must make his move, and yet Vader hesitated. Luke's gaze was fixed on those familiar empty black sockets, searching for some elusive emotion, trying to understand –

"Fool!" Palpatine's voice rang out from far away, snapping both of them from their intense staring contest. "You must never hesitate!"

Just as the Emperor spoke, Luke rolled away, jumped back onto his feet and gave a pull through the Force. In his surprise, Vader's hold on his weapon had slackened, and Luke pulled it effortlessly from his gloved hands before raising it in front of him. A second passed and Vader still did not move, so Luke took several steps forward and kicked his father in the stomach. The Sith stumbled slightly, but remained silent.

Luke then became aware that somebody was laughing. It was a raspy, blood-chilling laugh, rather humourless, and it was getting closer. He turned his head slightly and saw that Palpatine had joined them. His yellowing teeth were bared in a sadistic grin. "My, how the tables have turned on you Lord Vader," he said, his eyes flashing.

And then Luke understood that this was what Palpatine had wanted to see. Quickly he lowered Vader's weapon and turned fully to the Emperor, ignoring his father's presence. It had the desired effect; Palpatine was pleased.

"You disappoint me – this mere _boy_ is injured, less experienced and unarmed, and yet he managed to gain the upper hand. He may not yet be more powerful than you but he is cunning and relentless. I sense you are distracted. What made you hesitate? This boy should mean nothing to you!" The Emperor was circling them both now and Vader had yet to speak, or even react physically to his master's words.

"Unless," Palpatine hissed through his teeth. "Unless you were so _certain_ this boy was the answer to your predicament; that he would be the one to help rid you of me so you could claim the throne yourself? A foolish thought, my friend, very foolish indeed. You are _mine_ , as is this boy. You should know better than anyone how tight my grip can be. You cannot escape." He then threw a somewhat callous look at Luke, who shuddered. " _Luke_. Your destiny, your purpose, shall always be to serve me. Am I understood?"

His final word was snarled and it echoed ominously around the room. Luke waited until it had faded away completely before answering with a small, whispered 'Yes'. It was submissive and as truthful as he could make it. After a few moments, Vader's gritty voice joined his; "Yes, my Master."

Palpatine turned away and didn't look back down at them until he was seated back upon his throne. There he beckoned them both closer. "I do hope I've made myself clear. Today's _exercise_ was most enlightening and I think…" he hesitated, and Luke felt a new shiver of anticipation run through him, "I think young Luke is ready to join the ranks of our Sith Order."

Silenced followed this statement, and Luke stopped breathing for several moments.

Vader was the only one to challenge this. "Master?" His voice was small, and he was ignored.

Luke could practically feel his father's gaze burning through him, and he had to resist the temptation to look at him. His fingers trembled around the hilt of his father's lightsaber, which he still had not turned off, and his heart pounded loudly inside his chest. The pain from his recent fall was still present and he would make sure to visit Harv as soon as he could to get his stitches looked at, but at the moment he simply felt numb, as though he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

He didn't know what to feel, either. Logically, he should have been horrified. But the dark side swelled within him, and the promise of power was too overwhelming to ignore. Slowly, he opened his mouth and spoke in a voice that sounded quite foreign to his own ears; "I would be honoured."

His heartbeat sped up as he awaited Palpatine's response. The old man was definitely smiling now, though it was still a rather cold expression. "Then it shall be done. You shall join me in training and soon you will manufacture your own lightsaber. If you prove to be capable enough, I may place you in command of a Star Destroyer. Now, on your knees," he commanded, watching Luke though foul, gleaming yellow eyes as he obeyed.

"Do you swear loyalty to the Empire, to me, and to the Sith Code?"

Luke swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. "Yes," he spoke quietly, though his tone of voice was confident. Palpatine's lips stretched back further as he grinned.

"Then I grant you the title of Darth Skygge." He let the information sink in for a brief moment, then nodded. "You are excused."

Luke swallowed again, his heart beating madly now and bowed low before getting back up. "Thank you," he said before walking away slowly, wondering if his father would also exit the chamber. For a moment it seemed like he was going to follow, but Palpatine had other plans.

"Lord Vader, I would have a word with you." Vader gave a quick bow and stepped forth, filling the space Luke had just been in. Before leaving, Luke threw the lightsaber back into his father's hands, keeping his face blank. It was again impossible to tell what his father was thinking, so he didn't linger.

He could not leave the Emperor's throne room quickly enough. Once he was outside he gave a great sigh that filled his lungs with cold night air, and fell to his knees, his right hand cradling what remained of his left shoulder. His mind was empty for several minutes as he simply breathed and watched the luminous skyline of Imperial City. Then he shook his head and gave a low laugh.

_Darth Skygge._

If somebody had told him this morning that he'd be given a Sith name today, he'd have snorted derisively and claimed that he was not a Sith. How could things have changed so rapidly? He stood up and crossed the large balcony in order to sit at the top of the massive staircase leading to the palace, and looked down at where his arm should be. He'd lost an arm today, but also an integral part of himself. He'd had some sense knocked into him he supposed; been forced to realise that what he'd set out to do was impossible.

He smirked. Uncle Owen would have told him that these things build character. Obi-Wan would have said that it was for his own good. Han would have said that it was his own damn fault for being so stupid, and Leia, well, she'd no doubt tell him he deserved it –

His heart sank as he remembered what had happened today. Han and Leia might be dead right now. He couldn't be sure until he read a report or asked his father, but… if they were, then Luke had to admit that the Alliance was looking bad. Vader had said the Alliance got away, but what did that mean? And what was the point of holding back anymore if he couldn't do anything for the Alliance? He had a Sith name now, so he figured it would be best to embrace this change.

If there was nobody left to hate him for what he'd become, then why should he care?

Nobody left…

Nobody left except himself. His vision fogged up as sudden tears welled up in his eyes. He blinked furiously, letting the tears roll freely down his cheeks.

Maybe that was the only answer now, he thought. If he let this hate and anger consume him, maybe then he'd understand his father and taste the full extent of the power he'd been promised. Wiping the tears away with his sleeve, Luke forced his face into a hardened expression.

If this was what the Force had planned for him, if this was what he had gotten himself into, then he'd make the best of the situation and accept it. Once more he wondered what the Luke Skywalker of yesterday would have done, but again he understood that he was no longer that person. He couldn't be.

Breathing in a long breath of fresh air, he had to smile at the irony of his new name, knowing that Palpatine himself couldn't even appreciate the full extent of its significance.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

His tears had dried by the time his father came outside, and Luke quickly sprang to his feet to greet him. Vader walked right past him and descended the steps with purpose, no doubt expecting Luke to just follow, as always. Once they had reached the speeder, Luke decided to give in and speak first.

"So what now?" To his surprise and embarrassment his voice still sounded a little choked. He cleared his throat hastily.

"With Empire Day over with, there is no reason for me to stay on Imperial Centre. I have been assigned to a newer project of the Emperor's," Vader said calmly as he started the engine. "It requires me to travel the Outer Rim for the foreseeable future."

Luke nodded and stared out of the viewport for a long time, thinking this over. He'd thought the Emperor would have wanted them close by… "So when do we have to leave?" He asked slowly. They were nearly at the castle now.

"Did you not understand everything the Emperor said? You are to train with him now. I will go on this trip alone."

Luke's heart sank at this. But then the more he thought about it the more it made sense. Palpatine was obviously very angry with them, and if it had become clear how close they actually were, separating them would be an effective form of punishment. Well, Luke wasn't going to give the Emperor any reason to believe that it was effective. So he rearranged his face into a more neutral expression and nodded. "I see. So… when do you leave?"

If Vader cared about Luke's apparent lack of emotion regarding his news, he didn't show it. "Sometime in the next several days. You and I are to stand by the Emperor as he speaks in a televised announcement about today's events later tomorrow. Which is why I must have you fitted with your new arm now." As he spoke he landed the speeder inside the large hangar of the castle, and Luke stepped out quickly. He couldn't hide his relief at this.

"It's about time," he smirked. "Do you have it here?"

"In the medibay," his father answered as they walked to the turbolift. Neither of them dared to bring up the subject of their most recent battle, it seemed. As far as he was concerned, Luke no longer cared whether or not Vader had been genuine in his attacks. He did have one final question though.

"What happened to Leia Organa and Han Solo?" He asked once the lift started to move. He didn't want to call them his friends anymore, at least not in front of his father.

It seemed to take a while for Vader to answer, as though he were hesitating. The doors of the lift opened and they stepped out together just as Vader spoke. "I do not know if they escaped. It is difficult to say what happened in the chaos, but I have no doubt they were involved in the destruction of the _Judicator._ "

Luke only nodded grimly.

It turned out that Harv was working in the medibay that evening, or perhaps he'd been brought in specifically; Luke didn't know. But he gave the medic a small smile as he took a seat on the bed in a private room. Surprisingly, Harv didn't seem too intimidated by Vader's presence this time. Maybe the fact that the Sith had let him come back to work had lured him into a sense of security. That was rather foolish. And what was more, Harv decided to start off with some humour as he examined Luke shoulder.

"Well Luke, this can't have been one of your better birthdays."

Luke didn't even need to poke at the Force to know that his father was already annoyed. "It wasn't," he agreed tensely, hoping that Harv would just get on with it. Thankfully, he stopped examining the wound and brought over a long metal box, speaking directly to Vader as he did so.

"I have all the pieces here, moulded to your specifications." He deposited the box on the table next to the bed and opened it. Luke had to lean over to look inside and even then all he saw was a bunch of long metal parts. Nothing that even remotely looked like synthetic flesh.

However, Vader nodded. "Take all the time you require, Karrson."

Harv got to work, removing the remaining bandages and cleaning the wound. It still had not been completely closed off and was far from healed, so Luke couldn't help but flinch and he had to bite down on his lip to stifle a groan of pain.

"I'm sorry Luke. This process will be quite painful I'm afraid. Would you like some more medicine?"

"No," Luke grunted, eyeing the thing that still lay in the box. "What _is_ that, exactly?"

"Your new arm," Harv replied with a slightly surprised expression. "Didn't you, um…" He had turned to Vader, but then seemed to think better of whatever he's been about to say. "Perhaps Lord Vader should explain."

Vader indeed began to explain in a mostly monotonous voice. "It is part of the Sith _Stalker_ armour traditionally worn by Sith assassins. It usually covers the wearer's entire body and is grafted to the skin, though without hindering movement or one's ability to manipulate the Force." He paused then, looking down at Luke for a while as Harv lifted the largest part of the Sith Stalker arm out of the box. "I thought it would suit you," Vader finally admitted.

Luke said nothing, staring at the metal arm. It was made of several ridges moulded into bone-like forms that ran along the surface of larger and smoother plates of dark-tinted metal. It looked very heavy, but Luke picked up a longer, thin, sharp piece and found that it was almost weightless. Examining the sharp piece in his hand further, he realized that there were four similar ones that were also loose. They looked like… fingers.

He arranged them into the correct order and saw that he was right. They were more like claws actually. All in all the whole arm looked quite deadly and he had to admit he was intrigued by it. Deciding he'd inspected all the pieces long enough, he let Harv resume the installation.

The thought occurred to him that maybe he should comment on the arm, or even thank his father for it. But after a small prod through the Force in Vader's direction, he realised that the older Sith already knew. There was no need to say it.

Then something made him do a double take. At the top of the arm, namely the part that would be grafted to Luke's real shoulder, there was a series of long metal pikes that ended in small curves, rather like the ends of fishing hooks.

Luke flinched but said nothing. He figured that after everything he'd been through these past months, these past three years really, a little more pain was hardly anything to be very worried about.

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The return to Haven Base on Arbra was no joy ride. Everybody was tense, still shaken by the revelations that had been thrown out into the open during their encounter with Vader. Truthfully, Leia still wasn't so sure why he'd let them leave. It all seemed so surreal. And of course, just that fact that Luke was dead… Well, it sure complicated things. Leia had no way of knowing the effect that would have on Vader yet.

But more importantly, what were they going to tell the Alliance? Leia wasn't keen on keeping secrets from them – look where it had gotten Luke – but she couldn't risk something as dangerous as this getting out into the open. If anybody found out that Darth Vader had children, well, the price on Leia's head would triple, for one thing. Logically it was a risk she shouldn't be willing to take. And she was ready to bet that Han would agree with her on this.

They still had about an hour before they reached the regroup point, and still Leia could not decide what to do. Nobody had spoken much since they'd blasted away into hyperspace, but the single conversation that had occurred kept playing over and over in Leia's mind.

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_Leaning back in his seat, Han gave a great sigh of relief that sounded like it had been held in for hours. "I can't believe we got outta there!" He turned slightly towards Leia. "Pinch me." When she ignored him and just continued to stare out of the viewport, he frowned and waved a hand in front of her eyes. "Leia? You alright?"_

_It was a stupid question of course, with the death of her brother and all that her father had said, how could she possible be alright? But she only shook her head slowly. "I shouldn't have left him," she said sadly. "I can still feel him… He's so… angry."_

" _Excuse me?" Lando butted in unabashedly. "You can 'feel' him? What the heck does that mean?"_

_Leia closed her eyes, humming. "I'm not really sure – it's strange. I can only guess it's a connection in the Force. Almost like I used to feel like when Luke was around…" She paused there so they hopefully wouldn't notice the way her voice had just threatened to crack, but nothing escaped Han. He double-checked that the ship was safely on course and then scooted a little closer to her._

" _That may be," Han finally said, "but I'm still not sure we should trust him."_

_Before Leia could find anything to say to convince him, Lando once again spoke up. "I dunno Han. I mean, uh," he looked around awkwardly. "I've stricken deals with Vader before. He's not one to play with double motives. I don't think he'd bother messing with us like this."_

_Leia couldn't help but smile at Lando. "Yeah," she agreed. "Han, you have to admit he showed at least some degree of emotion back there."_

" _Emotion?" Han huffed. "Leia listen to yourself! I know he's your_ father _but look, there's no way he cares about you like family. You're just another card to play for him, like… like Luke was…"_

_Biting her lip, Leia shook her head. "I think you're wrong Han. We were obviously wrong about Luke. Maybe we're wrong about Vader, too."_

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They'd fallen silent after that, except for the occasional argument between Han and Chewie (Leia was pleased that the wookiee seemed to be on her side, too), and the atmosphere in the cockpit was a little awkward now.

Leia stood by what she'd said though and hoped that when they reached the Alliance base they'd be able to get some more info and form a real opinion about the situation. Unfortunately, what they were about to see on the news would indeed prove her wrong.

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There hadn't been much time to talk anything over when they landed on Arbra. Everybody was already seated in one of the control rooms, already watching the news report.

It was nothing surprising at first. Heavy losses for both the Alliance and the Empire's armada were confirmed, followed by what was apparently amateur footage of the battle taken from the planet surface, including the explosive destruction of the Star Destroyer. Several pilots seated around the room exchanged gleeful looks at the images.

Leia gulped and remained concentrated on the images, holding her breath worriedly. A togruta reporter was now on screen, explaining how the events had disrupted the Empire Day celebrations. Again, the pilots cheered. But everyone fell into stunned silence when the reporter announced that a statement from the Emperor himself would follow shortly. A flashy advertisement about a new air speeder model came on then and everybody turned to stare at each other, astonished.

Rieekan, who was suddenly standing to Leia's left, turned to her with his mouth slightly open. "The Emperor hardly ever appears in public…"

Leia could find nothing to say to this, so she only nodded. She also noticed Han was trying to catch her eye, but the news was back on and people began to hush others into silence when a makeshift podium erected in front of the Imperial Palace appeared. After several more long moments of tense silence, a figure appeared at the top of the mounted podium. A hood covered most of the upper part of his face, but a nose and an aged mouth were visible underneath.

Emperor Palpatine was as small and unimpressive-looking as ever, but when he spoke, he immediately shattered any unfavourable first impressions. Of course Leia still knew what the man was and she glared through the screen at him as though it would do any good, but to the public eye he must have looked like a very capable leader.

" _Citizens of Coruscant and gentlebeings of the Empire, the events that transpired yesterday, while striking, have left no mark on our great society's defences. The terrorist organization known as the Alliance to Restore the Republic has once again proven the worthlessness of their own cause. We mourn the loss of a Star Destroyer and the troops that were on board, but I assure you that everything that can be done to stop the rebels is being done…"_

At that point Leia couldn't help but tune him out, as a large dark figure had entered the screen at the Emperor's right. Vader stood there, stoic as ever, still as a statue as Palpatine spoke. She stared at him for a few seconds, only vaguely listening to what the Emperor was saying about Vader leaving Coruscant in the hours to come, but then another figure appeared at the tall Sith Lord's side, one that looked like –

"Wh – is that _Luke?_ " Han spluttered next to her, turning his head briefly, probably to see what her reaction was.

It was as though her brain had stopped functioning. She looked over the man on the screen, trying to find something, some proof that it wasn't Luke… but her efforts were in vain. Who else could it be, standing at Vader's side like that? It looked so… right. She hated to admit it, but Luke looked like he belonged there.

It was definitely him, but he wasn't quite the same. Scars that certainly hadn't been there last time littered his face. He was still dressed in dark robes, but there was less fabric, showing off the dark-tinted armour that was underneath. As she stared Luke shifted in place a little and something new caught her eye. One of his arms – the left one – seemed to be covered in jagged metal plating. The fingers were slightly curved and sharp at the ends, like claws.

He'd been injured, that much was clear from his appearance. His gaze was hard, his jaw set, his posture square. He was still there… He wasn't dead.

"We've been had!" Han hissed at her under his breath. "Vader played us like idiots!"

Again Leia shook her head, somehow still refusing to agree with him even though the proof was staring her in the face. Her brother was alive and still on Coruscant with Vader. That could only mean one thing; that Vader hadn't told him. Perhaps Luke _had_ changed.

She barely heard a word of the rest of the Emperor's speech, and continued to stare long after Luke and Vader had disappeared. Han had to shake her shoulders twice before she snapped out of her trance and turned to face him. His eyes were worried, but he still managed to look calmer than she felt. She could only hope it wasn't apparent in her face how torn she was.

"Now do you see it?" Han demanded. It would have been annoying if he'd sounded cocky, but he didn't, for which she was grateful. Nevertheless she shot him a disgruntled smirk and instead turned to General Rieekan, who looked very impatient to discuss the news.

"This looks bad, I know…" Leia started to say.

"How did you get out of there?" Madine butted in before Rieekan had any chance to speak. "Were you boarded? We fled before the Empire could really retaliate."

"Yes, thanks for that," Leia said through her teeth. "And no, we weren't boarded, we…" She hesitated, glancing only briefly to Han as she thought of what to tell them. There was no way she could admit to having been captured by Vader and then released by him without having to explain that he was her father. She also couldn't admit to her relationship with Luke now that he looked so… evil. There were too many unknowns at the moment.

"I… It was my fault," she finally settled on saying. "We held back there a while because I thought if I could find Luke, speak to him, maybe convince him to come back with us…" She looked back at the screens, which were now showing some other, much less important news. "But now it's apparent that he really is on Vader's side."

There was an uncomfortable silent then and Leia gauged the others' reactions quickly. Rieekan was looking sympathetic but Madine, as expected, was annoyed. Han looked shocked for a moment at her lie, but his face then settled in a perfect sabbac expression.

"I know I put myself and the other crewmembers of the _Falcon_ in considerable danger and I'm very sorry. I understand completely if you all think me unfit to lead this Alliance. It seems as though you were right, Crix. Jedi aren't always fit to be leaders."

Crix smirked and it looked somewhat painful for him to admit what he said next. "I have known Jedi, Leia, and let me tell you… You aren't one of them. You're something much better. Perhaps… perhaps I was too harsh on you before."

"I really appreciate that Crix, but I need some time to think it over." She smiled at him then glanced back at Rieekan, who was also bearing a small smile.

"We understand. It's late and I think everyone could do with some rest. We're safe on Arbra for the time being. Meeting adjourned."

Everybody gave a sigh of relief and quite rapidly pilots and technicians started to file out, all talking to each other about what they had just seen on the news broadcast. Leia hung her head wearily, thinking of how much she'd really like to sleep. Would it be all right to sleep for a while? It felt irresponsible of her, as though she shouldn't be sleeping after everything that had happened.

Han slid his hand down her arm before clasping it with her own, threading their fingers together as he mumbled to her. "C'mon princess. There'll be time for worryin' tomorrow. Let's go sleep."

Reluctantly, she nodded, yawned, and followed him.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skygge - a Danish and Norwegian word meaning "shade", "shadow" or "ghost".  
> I also chose it because it contains the word "sky".


	32. Chapter 32

The new arm, Luke quickly discovered, was _such a pain_.

He tried very hard to act normally after Harv had finished attaching it, and while he walked back to his quarters with his father after the televised appearance of the Emperor, but the very second the door had closed and he was left alone, he was unable to repress the moan that bubbled in the back of his throat. He collapsed on top of his bed, but immediately regretted it as it sent a jolt of pain through his maimed shoulder. Harv had assured him that it was normal for the pain to carry on the next couple of days and that he would probably feel it the most at night time, but he still felt he had a right to complain.

Luke scrambled out of his clothes, then stood slowly, massaging his scalp with his older prosthetic hand. After a few moments he tentatively lifted his new, unnatural arm up and touched at his face with it. The sensation was very numb, much like his replacement right hand had felt at first, but he figured that must be normal too. It felt like he was wearing a very thick, restricting glove. Moaning again at the painful sting, he let his arm drop to his side and walked over to the fresher in order to study his face and wounds in the mirror. This would be the first time he'd look at himself since the morning of his birthday.

He already felt so different.

As he stared in the mirror he was first of all pleased. Not because of the scars, but because of the fact that he didn't care about the scars. In fact, they did not shock him at all. He had already felt them on his face. But he didn't care about that. What he did instead of worrying over the scars, was meet his own gaze. If he was honest with himself he'd nearly expected his eyes to be yellow, or some shade of red. It certainly wouldn't have been surprising after everything he'd felt in the last couple of hours.

But icy blue eyes stared right back at him, the same as always. He tried to smile, and he noticed how the action stretched the scar that ran across his lip to his chin, but even to him it seemed fake – or at least devoid of any true happiness. Strange. He did not feel unhappy at the moment.

If he really had to assign an adjective to what he was feeling, he supposed he wouldn't exactly use 'happiness', but all the same… He didn't know what he was feeling. All he did know for sure was that this was what he wanted. Whether his change of heart and sudden acceptance of the dark side had anything to do with his injury, or the situation with the Emperor's anger, well, he couldn't be sure. It was certainly likely. But something inside him yearned for this power, and he could no longer deny it.

His only regret was that he had to be separated from his father again. He'd always imagined – or perhaps, feared – that when he succumbed to the dark side, he'd at least always remain with his father. Luke didn't want to think about what time and distance could do to their already fragile relationship. It wasn't exactly as thought Vader was the most caring father, or that Luke was a perfect son…

Luke felt his eyes sting with tears at these mere thoughts however, and was highly ashamed of himself. If he was to act like a Sith now, he'd have to start by believing that he truly was one. That meant he couldn't let his weakest emotions take over, even in private. For a moment, he wondered if Sith Lords such as his father were even capable of crying, before scoffing at the idea.

But then… Then he remembered something… Hadn't he seen a part of Vader's memory before? Hadn't his father wished he could shed a tear when he had believed Luke to be dead?

Luke glared into his own eyes suddenly, reprimanding himself in silence. These thoughts were leading him to a very dangerous place. He needed to accept that he could no longer turn his father back to his side, because he himself was no longer on the light side. He grumbled quietly, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, causing his scar to sting uncomfortably.

A second later his decision was made. He gathered up some fresh robes and put them on, all the while silently fuming, even though he had no idea how the conversation he was about to have would play out. As they had walked the distance between the medibay and his quarters, Luke and Vader hadn't spoken at all. Then, for a moment, just as they reached Luke's door, Vader had paused. Luke, certain that his father would want to say goodbye at least, had patiently waited with his hand at the ready to open his door.

But then the moment had passed, and Vader had turned to walk away without another word.

Strangely, Luke had not felt infuriated or anything of the sort. He'd simply felt a little hollow, disappointed that his father seemed to have nothing to say to him. But it had apparently only taken a few minutes for it to sink in, and for Luke to realise that he did not want them to separate like this. Before leaving his room, Luke stared out of the large viewport. The sun had fully risen by now, but with all the confusion of the previous hours, he wasn't entirely sure what day it was. Had his birthday truly been yesterday? It already felt like days ago.

His gaze then fell upon Artoo and Threepio, who were still powered down in a corner of the room. Feeling slightly bad for them, he made a mental note to remember to take a little more care of them later. They really were the only beings he could sympathise with at the moment. And they wouldn't judge him.

The corridors of the castle were cold, silent and lifeless. Luke had never seen anyone walking the halls except for a few stormtroopers, so this did not bother him. In fact it was perfect. He didn't want any distractions. He suspected his father must be in his own personal chambers, so he quickly found those, guided by the Force. His father's presence was definitely stronger here.

There seemed to be nothing outside the door to call the castle's main resident, so Luke simply pressed the button for the door to slide open and let him in.

It was so dark in the room that anybody else would have been sure that nobody was inside. But Luke's eyes were instantly drawn to the closed capsule of the meditation pod to the side of the room, and he knew that was where Vader must be.

With a sharp hermetic hiss, the jaws of the pod separated to reveal the Sith Lord, bathing the room in very white light. Before Luke could say anything, the familiar baritone voice spoke; "What is the matter?"

Luke hesitated, then squared his shoulders. "You'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Weren't you going to say goodbye to me?"

Vader took the time to remove himself from his hyperbaric chamber before answering.

"I thought it best not to draw things out," he said. "We shall be reunited soon enough and –"

"You mean that you didn't want to talk about what happened today? What happened just now when we were with the Emperor?" Luke interrupted, growling. Something unspoken leaped out through the Force, a feral sentiment of betrayal. "You always say we'll discuss these things later, but we never do! You never want to talk about emotions, or things _you_ consider 'un-sithly'!"

After a moment of silence, Vader let loose a sound that sounded like a gritty sigh. "Very well, what is troubling you? What do you so obviously need to discuss before I leave?"

Anger bubbled inside Luke's throat without him really knowing why. But then he lashed out. "No! _You_ tell me! For kriff's sake, I just want you to _react_ to something for once! You always act like you're angry at me, I can always feel your anger, but you don't _do_ anything about it. How can you stand it? It's only been hours and already I… I wanna destroy something! I feel like I want to k – kill someone." This last part was mumbled, and he averted his gaze for a few moments before looking back to the impassive black mask towering in front of him.

Softly, his father replied. "Then you will be a very powerful Sith, Luke. Certainly more powerful then I."

Luke reflected that this didn't really answer any of his questions, but he let it go. It was pretty clear Vader never would answer anyway. Instead, as he stared at his father, he felt his anger cool down into a tight ball that was much easier to contain. The dark side was snapping and hissing at the walls closing in on it, but Luke pulled on the leash. He felt his lips twist into a smirk, and the scars littering his face pulled at his skin with an uncomfortable twinge.

"I see…" He muttered. "Your work is done, isn't it? I'm a Sith now then, wasn't that what you wanted?" He felt his smile widen of its own accord, revealing his teeth. His tone of voice however, was humourless. "Well congratulations _Master_."

He knew the impact his words would have – he hardly ever called Vader 'Master' in private.

When the hulking Sith did not respond, Luke continued. "Don't let me keep you from your business then. I know how important the Empire is to you." He began to move towards the door. "But maybe when you come back we can have a proper duel? If you're up to it, of course."

Vader still said nothing, so Luke stepped outside of the room. "In the meantime, have a nice trip." He said bitterly, before hitting the button to close the door after him. As he stalked down the corridor back to his own room he let his anger free, causing warm tears to well up in his eyes.

He wasn't sure if he'd truly meant all of that, but he still wouldn't want to take any of it back. His father deserved it for being such a bastard to him. Why in all hells had Luke ever given in to all of this? He couldn't really remember. Anakin Skywalker's presence felt fainter than ever now, unattainable.

As soon as he reached his room he undressed and slumped onto the bed, staying mindful of his new arm. His last though before he let sleep take his exhausted mind far into the depths of dreams and nightmares was that he felt like such a fool for ever believing he could save a Sith.

Now that he was one, he knew how futile an endeavour it truly was.

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Twenty-four hours later, Darth Vader was on board his flagship, staring out into space. They had blasted away into hyperspace not too long ago, and for the first time since he'd reunited with Luke, his son was far away from him. He already felt so empty. Whether it was Leia's words that had such an influence on him he did not know, but somehow the thought wasn't so horrible to him. Somehow, the thought of his daughter soothed the memory of his last meeting with Luke.

Perhaps for the first time in his new life, he felt like a horrible father.

He didn't blame Luke for resenting him, in any case. Indeed, he had wished for his son to become a Sith, and for him to taste the same power as he had. But now that it had happened, he couldn't find it in himself to feel accomplished about it. All he could think of was… what Padmé would say if she could see what he had done to their offspring. He could still see her horrified face on Mustafar as she came to face with what he'd become, understood what he had inflicted upon the galaxy. It was easy to imagine what her reaction would be if she could see their son now.

_Darth Skygge_.

The name left a bitter taste on Vader's tongue.

' _You did this'_ a voice in his head hissed at him. _'It was your guidance that gave birth to this monster.'_

Vader gulped and closed his eyes. He felt uncomfortable in his own psyche as well as his own body today, a bad sign. His self-loathing, buried up underneath layers of other emotions for the past decades, was resurfacing with a passion. He had to _do_ something about this. He could not let Palpatine turn his own offspring on him now, not after everything that had transpired between them.

Briefly he found himself wishing he had ended things differently with Luke. But it had never seemed like the right time to say what he actually wanted to say. The Emperor was still too close, and Luke too angry with him. And what would he say, anyway? _I’m glad you’re alive, son,_ his own voice came to mind, unbidden. Ridiculous. Luke would have been as embarrassed as Vader felt now. A Sith had no use for such feelings.

There was a twinge of guilt in his gut now. Should he have told Luke about… his sister? Would it have made a difference? If he was honest, Vader had hesitated only because he was worried the knowledge that Leia was his sister would surely have drawn Luke away. There’d be no reason to stay loyal to his father if another member of his family were still alive, would there?

He still wanted to believe that Luke would remain loyal to him but… if left with the Emperor for too long, who knows what could happen to the boy? Would he still want to help him defeat the Emperor? And what would Palpatine do to his son if they were discovered now?

Vader dared not think of it. Slowly, he turned and located Admiral Piett. "Inform me once we have arrived, Admiral." He barked at the man as he stalked down the walkway and left the bridge. He was fuming already, rendered mad by all these thoughts of loyalties and betrayal.

But then, the answer came to him in a clear moment of inspiration; Leia.

He could still contact his daughter. The Emperor would be far away, and much too preoccupied by training Luke to check on Vader very often. Leia would surely want to help. If there was a chance of saving Luke, then Vader could face Leia again, despite the awkwardness there. And he knew he must.

If he did this, maybe he would forgive himself.

(Maybe Padmé would forgive him too.)

Vader entered his quarters and sat in his hyperbaric chamber, already feeling lighter. The Emperor clearly though separating him from Luke would make him more complacent, but he had actually made a grave mistake by sending him to supervise the final stages of the Second Death Star. Here, in deep space, he would be free to scheme, unhindered by Palpatine's watchful gaze.

Once he landed on the Death Star II, he'd be free to make his move.

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	33. Chapter 33

Leia had not felt so stressed in months and, considering all that had happened in the past weeks alone, that was saying something. She, Han, Wedge, Lando and Chewbacca were currently on Trindello, a tiny, mostly uninhabited planet in the Moddell sector of the Outer Rim. It was a forest planet, so the air was breathable and the atmosphere comfortable, but Leia didn’t feel very reassured. She was walking slowly behind everybody else, thinking things through.

 

The Force - even with what little grasp she had on it - felt different than usual. Something was trying to warn her, and that couldn’t be good. She felt uneasy, similar to when she had anticipated the Empire’s raid on Sullust. But it made no sense; they were here alone, and they’d only taken the Falcon. The rest of the Alliance was safe on Arbra for the time being. When Yoda had died and she had been forced to cut her training short, she’d been plagued by the feeling that the Empire was going to uncover their Haven Base. However, it had quickly become clear that the Empire’s forces had settled down for now. Something unexpected must have occurred to cause the events predicted by the Force to change so drastically. She had been certain the Empire would find them, but of course her understanding of the Force was basic.

 

So then why did she feel so afraid? Was something going to happen here on Trindello instead, something unrelated to the Empire? If so, why would it worry her this much? What could be as bad as an attack from the Empire? They were more than capable of facing simple bandits, or whatever other dangers lurked on this backwater planet.

 

Han suddenly looked back towards her and raised an eyebrow. She smiled back at him, silently assuring him that everything was okay. Which was true, for now at least.

 

“How long until we get to the rendezvous point?” She asked. They hadn’t been able to land close to their destination due to the dense vegetation and the ancient trees, so they had left the Falcon in a clearing, the closest one they had found.

 

“I’d say we’ve got at least an hour of walking to do, Princess. Sorry. Why we had to do this here is beyond me. I’m gonna give Karrde a piece of my mind when we get there, that’s for sure.” He grumbled, turning back to face in front of him. He was directly behind Chewie, who was leading their group due to his prowess when it came to snapping large branches out of the way. Leia smiled again, trying to quieten down the bad feeling she was still having.

 

Everything would be fine. They were on a remote world and nobody knew where they were. The man they had come here to meet, Talon Karrde, had been a prized informant for the alliance during the past few years. This time he had claimed to possess information so valuable and dangerous, he could not give it to them over comm. He’d insisted they meet up with him at one of his remote bases. Rieekan and Madine had been hesitant at first, and Leia had agreed with them, but Han knew Karrde personally and had insisted on going.

 

Leia couldn’t wait to receive the information and get out of here. It didn’t feel right to be away from the Alliance at the moment.

 

She felt cold suddenly, which registered as strange since the sun was still high in the sky and it was summer here. Was it getting darker? Her vision blurred for a moment and she felt weak in the knees. As she was pulling herself back on both feet, the moment passed and her mind finally recognized the feeling; the dark side of the Force was near. But… how? She stood still and closed her eyes, reaching out. A vast, dark, angry presence answered her, and she immediately pulled away.

 

Vader. Her father was here, she was sure of it. She had no idea how, but he had found them and, if she was correct, he was near the landing site of the Falcon. Suddenly she understood her premonitions – Vader hadn’t found their base, but he had found them somehow.

 

The others had noticed she had stopped now and they all backed up to see if she was okay. Before Han could even speak, she stopped him. “You all go on ahead. I have to go back to the ship.”

 

“Why?” Wedge asked, looking worried.

 

Han was not fooled. “What’s goin’ on?” He asked in a serious tone of voice.

 

“Something’s not right,” Leia said evenly. “I have to go check it out.”

 

“Well,” Han straightened. “I’m goin’ with you then.”

 

“Han, no. You’re the only one who knows Karrde, it’s important that you go to the meeting.”

 

“To hells with that! These guys can handle it, I’m sure.” Han had crossed him arms now and he didn’t look very happy. For a moment, Leia considered explaining the situation truthfully, but she knew it wouldn’t go down well. Besides, the dark presence was getting clearer, angrier. There was a better chance of Vader remaining c al m if she went to him alone for now.

 

“Please, Han. It’s… Jedi stuff, alright? Just trust me, I know I have to go check it out.” She felt a little guilty for the look she used on him then, when he instantly softened.

 

“Well, alright, if you’re sure… You don’t even wanna take Chewie with you?”

 

“I’ll be fine,” she smiled. “And listen, I’ll come and meet up with you guys at Karrde’s place as soon as I’m done here. Don’t worry.” She gave him a quick kiss and waved at Chewie, Lando and Wedge before turning around and disappearing back into the foliage. The Force would guide her to the Sith.

 

Vader had some nerve showing up here.

 

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There stood the _Millennium Falcon_ , the ship that had managed to elude his capture so many times now. Vader frowned at it. He didn’t see what was so special about such a run-down corellian freighter. Especially since it belonged to that two-bit smuggler Solo… This only angered him further as he remembered all the instances he’d witnessed between the man and his daughter; that time on Bespin, and again on the Executor on Empire Day… And hadn’t Luke once mentioned they were together? The thought made Vader’s blood boil.

 

He concentrated instead on Leia’s presence, which calmed him somewhat. It was getting closer.

 

He needn’t wait much longer. His daughter soon appeared, scrambling out of some bushes, albeit with some amount of grace.

 

“Vader,” she said coldly as she came to a halt, keeping a wary distance between them. “How did you find us?” She got straight to the point. Good.

 

“There is a tracking beacon on the Millennium Falcon. I have been following your movements ever since your Alliance fled to Mon Calamari. Last time I located you was before your Rebellion’s attack at Coruscant. You were in the Dagobah system. ” He said calmly, watching her reaction, and saw reali s ation dawn on her face.

 

“I see,” she said, squaring her jaw. “Well, what do you want? I admit I’m surprised you would come here to capture us without a delegation of some kind. You do seem to like dramatic appearances.” She was watching him suspiciously, and her gaze flickered around, obviously looking for the ship he had come in.

 

“My ship is a small ways from here,” he said. “And I came alone.”

 

Leia’s eyebrows knitted together and she crossed her arms. “Why?” She demanded.

 

Silence rang out between them as they stared each other down. Vader didn’t know where to start. Luckily for him, Leia had much to say.

 

“Why did you tell me Luke was dead?” She blurted out. “You must have known I’d soon find out it wasn’t true.”

 

Vader almost lost his temper at that. But as much as he did not wish to be reminded of his son’s near-death experience, it was partly what he had come here to discuss. “I believed him to be dead. As I am sure you also felt, his Force signature disappeared shortly after he communicated a burst of intense pain to me.”

 

“What happened to him?” Leia interrupted. “We saw him during Palpatine’s speech on the news…”

 

“He lost one of his arms while attempting to escape the Star Destroyer your alliance destroyed.” Vader said evenly, but Leia didn’t even flinch. He paused then, trying to find the right words. “He has become a Sith, or at least in the eyes of the Emperor. I have been sent away from Coruscant on top secret business, and the Emperor has decided to train him on his own time. There was… nothing I could do to stop this.”

 

“Is this… an apology?” Leia asked, eyebrows almost touching her hairline. Vader said nothing. “But then … Wasn’t this your plan for Luke all along?”

 

“I was to train him and together we would rule the galaxy. That was the plan.”

 

“That doesn’t really answer my question,” Leia sighed. “Why don’t you just explain to me clearly what happened? Maybe then I’ll understand what you’re trying to say.”

 

Vader growled. “It is not that simple. I am not yet sure to what extent he has turned to the dark side. But last time I spoke to him, he did not seem to consider me his ally anymore. I… did not wish for him to take Palpatine’s side, but it seems to be what has happened. The dark side is growing stronger with him.” Seeing the slightly confused look on his daughter’s face, he added; “I do not know how to better explain this, but if I let these events continue their course, Luke will be lost. If this happens, the notion of family will truly become foreign to him, as a true Sith -”

 

He stopped talking, realizing what he’d been about to admit. But he though he saw the way Leia looked at him then, and she knew. Thankfully she didn’t comment.

 

“So you screwed up, is what you’re saying,” Leia said with a bitter smile. “And now you want to find a way to save Luke from Palpatine.”

 

“Crudely put, but correct.” Vader seethed.

 

“So, I’ll ask you again: why are you here?” She was looking at him in that same infuriating way Luke used to look at him whenever he thought he had caught a glimpse of Anakin Skywalker. It was clear she wasn’t going to make this easy for him.

 

With a gritty sigh, he felt his shoulders tense in anticipation of what he was about to say. “You… will help me.”

 

“Don’t I have a choice?”

 

Annoyed, Vader rephrased; “Will you help me?” It had been a long time sinc e he’d had to ask for anything.

 

"Of course,” Leia said, her voice now a little warmer. She took two small steps in his direction, effectively breaking down the invisible barrier that stood between them. Vader instantly felt very uncomfortable, almost too self-aware. This was a woman he’d tortured, his own flesh and blood, the same as Luke…

 

But this was a train of thought Vader was not ready to pursue. Leia seemed to have decided that pushing away the awful memories of her stay on the first Death Star out of her mind would be best for now, and so should he. And Leia had resumed speaking, so he forced himself out of the daze and listened.

 

"How should we proceed?" She asked, her brown eyes curious.

 

"I…" Vader mumbled something incoherent, but luckily for him the mask’s vocal recognition system did not translate it into actual sound . He did not want to admit that he had no solidly thought out plan. In his youth this would not have mattered. He’d have been the one to recklessly plan a rescue mission, and Obi-Wan would have followed, repairing any messes. But this was his daughter; this time he had to be the careful one. For all he knew, she may also have inherited his foolhardiness.

 

"We must first plan our attack carefully. Our best chance lies with catching the Emperor by surprise -"

 

Leia interrupted him then. “Wait, what attack? We’re going to plan an attack on Coruscant?”

 

"On Imperial City, yes." Vader confirmed. He was aware of what Leia was thinking right now. He was the Emperor’s right hand man, the second in command of the Empire, so why would he want to lead a siege against its capital? "Luke is invaluable to me," he finally decided to say. "Cities can be rebuilt, and Empires can be reorganized. But there is only one Luke."

 

He reali s ed this now. He’d taken Luke for granted, using him to train a Sith apprentice, never thinking about what could happen beyond the obvious . The thought that the change Luke had caused in the dark side may have severed their bond, and that Luke might be won over by Palpatine, was sickening. For the first time since Vader had become a Sith, the thought of harm coming to another being distressed him.

 

He sighed. Leia was staring up at him like she’d never properly had a look before. “I understand what you mean,” she assured him. “I also want to save him. But, as much as I blame you, he’s as much yours as he is mine. We’re all in this together.”

 

Vader had nothing to say to all of this. What could he possible respond to such overt displays of familial affection?

 

Thankfully, he was saved the need of finding something to say when a distraction came in the form of one Han Solo.

 

The smuggler came falling out of the bushes with much less poise than his daughter had, landing on the ground at Vader’s feet. Vader eyed him disdainfully and kicked him lightly so he rolled over closer onto his back. Solo then sat up and his mouth fell open as he stared between them.

 

Leia had a weary expression, but it seemed half-hearted. “I asked you to go on with the others, Han.” As she spoke she bent down to help him get back on his feet.

 

"I had a change of heart," the smuggler was saying. "Chewie made me feel guilty about letting you go off alone, so talk it out with him." He suddenly turned to stare right back at Vader. "I have to say though, if I’d known what was really going on, I’d have followed you sooner. What’s _he_ doing here?”

 

Vader took a step forwards and pointed a leather-clad finger in Solo’s face. “You will learn to show me an appropriate amount of respect, smuggler.” He only just managed to keep his anger under check, and looked back towards Leia expectantly.

 

"Han…" She hastily said. "Luke’s in danger of becoming a true Sith. We have to help him."

 

"So this ‘we’… That includes our Tyrannical Lordship over there, does it? Am I supposed to believe he actually wants to help us?" Solo had an insolent half-smile as he spoke, and Vader felt his annoyance flare up again. His daughter must have felt it as well because she placed herself between them, a wordless sign that she did not wish for any fights to erupt.

 

"It’s all true," s he said.

 

Vader came closer to them, annoyed at the fact that they were standing so close and that Solo was touching her arm, but also because this was disrupting the conversation he and Leia needed to have. Time was short.

 

"You are meddling with affairs you cannot understand, Solo," he said as he stopped just inches from them. "And you most certainly are not included in our plans."

 

"Excuse me," Leia interjected, "but he definitely is included. We can’t do this alone. Don’t tell me you were planning on using the Empire’s own resources to plan an attack?"

 

"Are you suggesting we use the rebel’s resources?" Vader seethed. It was unthinkable.

 

"Well," Leia said slowly. "Think of it this way; if you are already willing to ask for my help, why not take it all the way? The Alliance wants the Empire defeated, and that’s all that matters."

 

Vader resisted the urge to chuckle darkly. “Oh really?” He said rather sarcastically instead. “And I’m quite certain your alliance will trust me as readily as you do!”

 

"Perhaps not!" Leia said hotly. "But in case you’ve forgotten, I’m one of the leaders of the Alliance, and they’ll at least listen to what I have to say. Whereas they’d simply shoot at you before asking questions if you showed up uninvited. They don’t know I’m your daughter of course… but it won’t be like it was for Luke… I know it."

 

Vader huffed, turning his head to look somewhere he wouldn’t have to see Solo’s insolent face anymore. “Let us hope you are right,” he said darkly.

 

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When Luke next awoke on Coruscant, his first instinct was to reach out for his father’s presence in the Force. But it was useless; where before there had been a vast dark mass of whirling anger, only emptiness greeted him. His father was gone from the planet, gone from the entire system. Gone from him, off who knows where to do the Emperor’s bidding, leaving Luke in the old man’s care.

 

Luke wasn’t going to fool himself into thinking that his time here with Palpatine was to be pleasant. He had not yet witnessed the full extent of the older Sith’s power, but if it was enough to frighten his father into submission, then it shouldn’t be underestimated.

 

As he sat up, groaning at his aching body, he was aware of something cold… gnawing at his heart. The reali s ation that his father had left him here, and without the slightest trace of guilt, was still tormenting him. He had not had a very relaxing sleep, and this was probably the reason for it.

 

He slipped away from the bed and gathered up his robes and armour, sill in a pile on the floor where he’d left them yesterday. To his surprise, there was a knock on the door to his room, and before he could answer a young man entered. He looked about Luke’s age, perhaps a bit older. Luke was halfway done dressing himself, and when the man saw this he immediately came forward.

 

"My Lord, you should have called for me. I did not know you were awake." He said, reaching to help Luke with the fastenings of his armour. Luke quirked an eyebrow.

 

"I’m sorry? And who are you?" He still felt quite groggy and very much in need of some breakfast. He stared and let his body go limp, allowing the man to finish dressing him. Normally he would have protested, but he had a mild headache, and his arm wasn’t feeling much better today.

 

When the man was done, he stepped back and smoothed some creases from Luke’s collar. “Oh, my apologies your Lordship. His majesty has assigned me to be your valet.”

 

Luke blinked. “What’s a valet?” He asked, feeling rather uneducated, as well as annoyed at being called “Lordship”. All it did was remind him of Vader.

 

The young man looked like he was trying very hard to keep his eyes on Luke’s. “I am to assist with any of your personal needs, my Lord. That is to say I shall take care of cleaning your clothes and armour, as well as your personal chambers… I can manage your finances, your meals… Whatever you may require.”

 

Alarmed, Luke shook his head. “No. No way. I don’t need a valet, sorry, I’ll tell Palpatine it’s really unnecessary…”

 

At his words, the man blanched.

 

Luke interrupted himself. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

 

"Oh nothing my Lord," He said quickly. "Only I wouldn’t wish for His Excellency to assume that you found me inadequate." His lip had started to tremble.

 

"You’re scared." Luke surmised. "Look, don’t be. When my- er, that is, when Vader wanted to fire my doctor for being too lenient with me, I managed to talk him out of it. I’m sure Palpatine will understand that I only think a valet would be superfluous." He wasn’t exactly lying, but this _valet_ didn’t seem to believe him anyway.

 

"With respect my Lord," he said, "I don’t imagine His Majesty to be as understanding as Lord Vader certainly is."

 

Luke almost burst out laughing at that. “If there’s one thing Vader isn’t, it’s understanding. Or friendly. I can handle the Emperor, don’t worry about me.”

 

"It’s my job to worry about you, my Lord."

 

Luke sighed. “Okay look, I won’t bring it up with Palpatine right now. Just… you don’t need to help me get dressed or anything. I can manage. And call me Luke.”

 

The valet’s eyes widened slightly and he looked away at once. “I wouldn’t dare,” he said quietly.

 

"But I’m not a Lord!" Luke snapped, more as a note to himself than. "It makes me feel like Vader. And I’m not like him.”

 

"It’s not my place to disagree, of course," the valet said carefully. "But you have been named a Lord by His Majesty the Emperor. Everybody will be calling you Lord Skygge now."

 

Luke bit his lip, then nodded. He’d almost forgotten about that. Deciding to suck it up, he asked his new valet to get him some breakfast and then crossed his chambers to the couch. He sighed. This new life was already proving too formal for his taste, and he hadn’t even left his room yet.

 

When the man returned with a plate of eggs, bread and fruit, Luke tried it one last time; “Would you at least call me ‘Sir’? I’d prefer that to ‘Lord’.” At his unnerved look, Luke sighed again. “Alright, alright. Just no ‘Lordships’ or anything like that. And please don’t talk about me in the third person. I hate that.”

 

"I’ll do my best to please you, my Lord." He bowed swiftly and left the room, seeming very anxious to get away from him. Luke shook his head as he started to eat. It seemed this was just another person who was afraid of him before he’d even given them a reason to be.

 

He realised he didn’t even know the man’s _name_ , for star’s sake. The guy seemed little more than a slave, and it troubled Luke more than anything.

 

So he ate in silence, trying not to think. He was glad for the glass of ice cold fruit juice that had been brought with his breakfast; he felt very sore and stifled. It wasn’t quite a headache, but still his forehead was a little too hot. When he was done eating he spent a minute looking around to see if there was anywhere he could clean his plate, but of course there was none. With another sigh he left everything on a table and moved to the comm centre near the bed.

 

He had a message from a contact named M J.

 

When he selected it he saw it was only a text message, which read:

 

_Lord Skygge,_

_We had the pleasure of meeting at the last ball you attended on Coruscant. As Lord Vader no doubt explained after our first meeting, I am a Hand to the Emperor. The present is to let you know that His Majesty has instructed me to train with you three times a week. Kindly reply promptly to this message and inform me of when it would be convenient for us to meet. I do hope you recover soon from your recent injury._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Lady Mara Jade_

_Royal Hand to HM Palpatine, Galactic Emperor_

 

Luke read through the message twice and even then he wasn’t sure what kind of sentiment he detected in the letter. Of course he remembered Mara, from the balcony at the ball, and then that time he’d spotted her in the Emperor’s gardens… But he really didn’t know what to make of her. He’d gotten a few more glances of her around after that, but they hadn’t spoken. She always seemed to disappear just as he noticed her.

 

The message was very formal, yet pleasant enough that he did not feel patronized. But somehow this Mara Jade didn’t strike him as the type to wonder if his arm was better, or indeed to be this nice in a letter.

 

After worrying his bottom lip between his teeth for several moments, a strange sensation now due to the still quite fresh scar running through to the bottom of his jaw, he sat down to compose a reply. In the end, he decided on being brief and similarly polite.

 

_Lady Jade,_

_My arm is much better, thank you. To my knowledge I have the time today unless the Emperor has other plans for me. If you are free, call on me any time. I look forward to training together._

_Sincerely_

 

He paused then, unsure how to sign the message. Simply ‘Luke’ was out of the question, but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to type ‘Lord Skygge’ on the screen. And he didn’t have anything fancy to add under his name like Jade had done. With a smirk he thought of his unofficial title of ‘Vader’s Shadow’, but he could hardly use that. Grudgingly, he finally came to the decision that ‘Lord Skygge’ was actually the title least probable to make him look like a fool.

 

So he signed _Lord Skygge_ , reflecting that because she had used it to greet him, it would be strange to use something else. She might even be offended. As he sent the message he shook his head slowly. This felt so… aristocratic of him to be sitting here worrying over the correct way to address a letter to this woman.

 

He spent several minutes staring out the window then, looking at the distant skylanes of traffic beyond Imperial City. He longed once again for the freedom of piloting a speeder, and to be allowed to go wherever he pleased… But he figured he should wait before piloting again, ast least until his arm was better.

 

To his surprise, his comm station emitted a bleep then, informing him that he’d received a new message. It was a response from Jade. It simply told him to present himself at the training rooms at oh-fifteen-hundred, which was in little over an hour.

 

Stretching, Luke grabbed his wallet, which really only contained the credit card his father had given him, and made for the door. He’d have to walk to the Imperial Palace, but he still had plenty of time.

 

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The Palace was silent and empty for the most part. He passed chamber upon empty chamber, large meeting rooms with long tables, until finally he came to the main ballroom. The red guards stationed at the door seemed to eye him as he approached but they did not prevent him from entering.

 

The ballroom looked even bigger when it was empty and it made Luke feel uncomfortable. He left almost as soon as he entered.

 

He remembered well enough where the training rooms were located. They were in a basement level, down a stony, dark corridor he could tell hardly anyone ever used. He still had twenty minutes to spare when he entered the chamber, but lo and behold, Mara Jade was already there.

 

Her solid green gaze fixed on him at once. “Don’t like to waste time, huh?” She said evenly.

 

Luke stopped and looked around the room before answering. It looked pretty much like the training areas in his father’s castle, just smaller. “My uncle always told me never to keep a woman waiting.”

 

"Smart man," Jade replied with a curt nod. " You said you wer e an orphan?"

 

Keeping in mind the fabricated life story his father had composed for him, Luke let out a soundless sigh. “I never knew my parents, and my uncle was killed when I was younger.” Luke then felt a familiar twist in his guts when he realized a somewhat dark presence had infiltrated his mind. But it wasn’t Vader. It took him several seconds more to figure out that it was Mara Jade attempting to read him.

 

He brushed off her presence like dust on a shelf. “You’re not very subtle,” he commented with a smirk.

 

"I was not trying to be," Jade said. "But I did pick up on some things. You’re not happy with your new valet. In fact… you have a lot of anger, don’t you?" Her impassive look was somehow worse than if she’d been smirking at him.

 

"I’m not exactly used to living in a big castle and having people dress me," Luke said quietly.

 

"Well, take it from me Skygge, you never really get used to it."

 

"Call me Luke," he snapped.

 

"You’re also quite insecure about yourself," Jade observed idly. For the first time since Luke knew her, he saw the corner of her mouth twitch in something that could have become a smile.

 

Luke bit his lip and readjusted his stance. “Are we going to start training soon, or what?”

 

"Absolutely," she said and tossed him a lightsaber. "I expect His Majesty will teach you to construct your own one soon enough, but for now this should do the trick."

 

He looked it over, familiarizing himself with the placement of the buttons and the form of the grip. “So,” he said once he was ready to take a battle stance. “What sort of training did you have in mind?” Mara Jade’s stance was solid, and he was impressed for a moment. However the Force thrummed inside him, within his very bones, and he knew he couldn’t lose against her. The Dark Side assured him.

 

Jade set her jaw, as if she knew what he’d just been thinking. But that was absurd. She may be somewhat in tune with the Force, but Luke knew very well that she couldn’t be as strong as a Sith. “His Majesty asked that we engage in light sparring for the most part, until your wounds have completely healed. After that, we’ll see won’t we? We’re unfamiliar with each other’s’ style at the moment anyway.”

 

"Makes sense," Luke acquiesced. "So, ready when you are." He lit his borrowed lightsaber. It was bright red, but didn’t feel as comfortable in his hand as his father’s old one did. It felt more like a tool to be used, rather than an extension of his own being. But no matter. He’d rather not use his father’s at the moment. He didn’t feel like being reminded of him every second.

 

Completely tuned in to the Force, Luke anticipated the exact moment Jade lit her own weapon, and pounced. He was not about to be outshone by this Emperor’s Hand.

 

To his dismay, he didn’t even startle Jade. She moved swiftly out of the way and countered his attack flawlessly. She was good. Her technique was obviously fine-tuned, and perhaps she had expected him to be brash. Luke moved back and rolled his wrists, more from habit than a real need to crack his joints into place, seeing as both his hands were now prosthetics. He watched Jade’s feet as she sidestepped along in front of him, and she did the same, he noticed.

 

Her grip on her lightsaber was inverted, so that the blade pointed backwards when her arm was at rest. It was unusual but it rather suited her, he mused. When she attacked, her lightsaber was pointed more like a long dagger than a true sword. He flicked her off effortlessly and danced around her in one swift movement, carried by the Force, so that he found himself in her only blind spot. She twirled on the spot to meet him, but a second too late - her hair sizzled when it caught in his blade.

 

"Shouldn’t you tie your hair up when fighting someone who has a lightsaber?" He wondered as he dodged three of her consecutive attacks. After training with his father, Mara Jade’s small form was a breeze to evade. She was faster than Vader of course, but Luke had the Force on his side.

 

Jade bared her teeth at him when she next attacked, that stiff upper lip of hers finally giving away. “It’s none of your bloody business what I do with my hair, Skygge,” she growled, and Luke smirked. He could feel annoyance radiating off her in waves, and hells it felt good. It felt like a role-reversal for him. Was this how his anger made his father feel? Luke finally understood what the Sith Lord had been getting at. His own barely contained fury bounced off of hers, and unashamedly, he let it out. He wanted to make her even angrier. He craved it.

 

The anger he felt towards his father for leaving him here finally had an outlet.

 

In a few short seconds he had Jade disarmed. Her lightsaber fell out of her grip and he kicked it so that it rolled further away. Jade stared at him, standing perfectly still except for her heaving shoulders. They were both out of breath, but Luke had never felt so good. Their feelings of anger and hatred sparked like electricity in the air.

 

Luke stood straight and proud with the point of his lightsaber inches from Jade’s face and, without really meaning to, he was consumed by the sudden desire to pierce her with his weapon. It would be so easy. He stared into her eyes, and that defiant cracked emerald gaze met his.

 

The moment passed, and he lowered his humming blade before shutting it off. “Good match,” he panted, taking two steps back to get out of her personal space. She was still watching him closely.

 

"You wanted to kill me," she said slowly, her expression neutral. It wasn’t an accusation, simply a fact she stated. "I saw it in your eyes."

 

Luke’s head snapped back towards her. “I thought about it, yeah,” he said, and was surprised by how easy it was to admit. The fact that it didn’t seem to faze her probably helped. “But I didn’t. Or… I wouldn’t. Okay?”

 

Stepping away from her again, he straightened his robes, which had loosened, exposing his scarred shoulder and the beginnings of his mechanical arm. “You’ve killed people before though,” Jade’s voice carried over to him. “It’s fun, isn’t it?”

 

Luke swallowed hard before turning back to her again. “I don’t enjoy it.” He snapped at her, even as his gut squirmed. Just the mention of murder was getting him all… excitable. “I don’t,” he repeated. “It’s just what needs to be done sometimes.” Once again, Jade’s eyes betrayed nothing. He couldn’t tell if she was amused or if she didn’t believe him, or anything really. Slightly unnerved, he cleared his throat and brandished his lightsaber again. “Ready for another round?”

 

As he spoke he concentrated on her cast-off weapon and pulled it towards them with the Force. Jade caught it in the air.

 

A crooked smile formed on her face and she moved into position. “Certainly.”

 

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"Will you give it a rest you two?" Leia groaned, interrupting her Sith Lord father and her fiancé, who were currently bickering like hens behind her back. She was busy sending an encoded message to Wedge, Lando and Chewie, letting them know that she and Han would both be waiting on the _Falcon_ when they returned. Somehow she thought it best to omit that the Dark Lord of the Sith would be joining their party. Some things were better explained in person, even if that did invite the risk of a shootout.

 

Han scoffed, and when she turned around after sending the message she saw that he and Vader were standing as far apart from each other as physically possible in the cockpit. Han was wearing his cockiest smirk, and Vader’s anger levels were surely reaching record heights. Leia sat down in the captain’s seat and rubbed her temple.

 

"Okay then," Han started, "how do you propose we occupy our time? Share fond childhood memories? Talk about our favourite nunaball teams?"

 

"Perhaps not," Leia replied dryly as she felt a burst of anger coming from her father. Han was so profoundly unaware of the magnitude of the fire he was playing with. "But do try not to rile each other up. I’d like for some members of my family to actually get along for once, or at least pretend that their deepest desire isn’t to murder one another." She paused then as Han stared at her. They had a silent exchange, and the smuggler nodded almost imperceptibly, giving her his okay. Leia then looked back at Vader and, sensing a new emotion coming from him - this time wary disbelief - added; "You’re in-laws after all. Han and I are engaged."

 

Vader was very still for a moment, obviously struggling with something. Leia’s best guess was that he was concentrating very hard on not snapping Han’s neck right then and there. When he spoke his tone was very final. “Absolutely not.”

 

"Oh yeah, like you get a say," Han shot back, crossing his arms. Leia mentally slapped him, but there was nothing she could do to take back his comment. "You may as well get used to the idea because you can’t stop us," he continued on.

 

"I can be very persuasive." Vader said ominously.

 

"What in all hells is that supposed to mean?" Angrily, Han advanced forward and Leia felt obligated to step in.

 

"Okay stop it both of you," she said loudly. It had the right effect. Vader’s anger was by no means pacified, but at least they seemed to realise it was pointless to argue about this right now. "I shouldn’t have said anything in the first place." Leia sighed. "It’s so trivial compared to what we’re about to do. That’s what we should be focusing on."

 

Han slumped down into Chewie’s co-pilot seat and clenched his teeth. He still seemed ready to lash out at Vader, but at least he understood what this meant to Leia. For his part, Vader remained motionless, standing in front of the doorway, his dark silhouette blocking any light from the corridor.

 

"Great," Leia mumbled. "Now while we wait for the others to come back, let’s try and figure out what we’re even going to say to them."

 

"No. We should leave at once." Vader said. "There is no time to waste on those -"

 

"Careful," Han snapped. "Those are our friends.”

 

"I really couldn’t care less," Vader replied poisonously and Han stretched forward in his seat to retort something probably just as biting.

 

Leia bit her tongue and tuned them out as she forced her gaze away from them, feeling like she probably had a few grey hairs already from this past hour alone. It was going to be a long trip.

 

But then it seemed they weren’t about to start snapping at each other again, because a shadow loomed over her and she looked up to find that Vader was now standing in front of her. He put out his hand. “May I see your lightsaber?” It sounded more like a demand, because obviously Darth Vader was above asking for something, but still there was a gentle undertone there that caused her to hand her handcrafted weapon over to him.

 

The Sith took the last available seat, in front of her, and she watched nervously as he held the lightsaber up to his helmet, inspecting it. After a few moments of turning it around in his hands, he flicked the switch and twirled it around. Her first thought was that the bright green suited him ill. It seemed quite out of place in his grip.

 

"It is not by any means perfect, but it seems to work adequately," he remarked, looking it over for several more seconds before finally turning it off and handing it back to her.

 

Leia didn’t know whether she was meant to feel annoyed by his comment, or if it was supposed to be a special Skywalker brand of flattery. However, Vader than added; “Do not worry, this is normal. First lightsabers are often nothing more than clumsy attempts, and easily replaceable. I have no doubt you will get better with every next try.”

 

"Well, this one is irreplaceable to me," Leia said softly.

 

"It is made from an older lightsaber." Vader nodded. "That much I could tell. Where did you obtain the materials?"

 

Swallowing her still very present sadness at her master’s passing, Leia managed to smile weakly. “The core belonged to an old Master Jedi. He gave it to me on his deathbed.”

 

Vader looked at her without speaking for a full minute. Even with that mask and those unseeing sockets, she still felt the full power of his gaze on her. “Yoda,” he finally guessed out loud. “He is dead, then?”

 

"You had a lot of respect for him." Leia narrowed her eyes. It was still hard to read him most of the time, but right now his emotions were a little softer than usual.

 

A rattling breath, louder than the others, escaped Vader. It almost sounded like a sigh. “Of course I did. Yoda was a Jedi, but he was very old and very wise. Any enemy worth my time must also be worth my respect.”

 

Leia heard Han scoff again, but neither of them paid him much attention. “I understand.” She said. Even though she would never agree that the Jedi were wrong, she still took Vader’s words as a lesson. Perhaps she and her father would find a way to get along after all.

 

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	34. Chapter 34

It would take hours for Lando, Chewie and Wedge to return to the _Falcon._ The tension in the cockpit of the corellian freighter was so thick by now that Leia felt it was probably noxious to breathe it in. Nobody had spoken in at least half an hour though, for which she was grateful. They had run out of subjects to discuss fairly quickly after the conversation about lightsabers she’d had with Vader, during which Han had disappeared. He returned silently several minutes later with a toolbox and some circuitry boards – Leia wasn’t even sure she knew what they were for – and Han had gotten to work fiddling with them, fixing things. For a while Leia watched him, and smiled when he looked up at her. She then turned her attention to the viewport, where she watched some birds in a nearby tree. Vader’s breathing mechanism was a loud and steady reminder of his presence, but it was surprisingly easy to forget about when she calmed her mind.

 

The Sith’s voice made her jump out of her reverie however, and she whipped around to watch as the man addressed Han directly. “Your work is inadequate,” he said softly, casually.

 

Han stopped what he was doing and looked up at Vader with his mouth half open. “Excuse me?”

 

“That is not the most efficient way – here, give me –“

 

Han snorted. “Like hell! Look, I know what I’m doing old man –”

 

Vader gave an impatient growl, and Leia rolled her eyes. “ _Boys_ ,” she said. They both glanced at her stern expression and settled down. Han then gave an exaggerated sigh, but handed over his handiwork to Vader nonetheless. The Sith edged forward in his seat and started reassembling the pieces, ignoring Han’s sounds of protest. He wasn’t long, and a minute later the parts were back in the Corellian’s hands. Han examined everything thoroughly, glanced once at Vader and turned away to continue his work. “You really know your stuff.” He then said begrudgingly, out loud to the room.

 

“I’m guessing, given the state of your ship, that you’ve always had to get by on your own,” Vader answered calmly. “Fixing ships is an art. It is clear your have talent, but you lack necessary training to take your skills to the next level.” There was no malice in his voice for once, so none of this sounded like an insult. He was simply stating what he had observed.

 

Leia was stunned into silence, and decided she preferred not to get involved. Han didn’t say anything in response, but Leia thought the line of his shoulders looked more relaxed at least. She didn’t know what to make of this, really. Han was smart. He knew Vader was dangerous. All the taunting and snappy retorts were Han’s way of dealing with threats and it had always worked out for him. Maybe he thought he was exempt from Vader’s legendary murderous wrath because of his relationship to Leia – or rather because of Leia’s relationship to him – but she hoped he wouldn’t get too comfortable. Leia had seen first-hand what Vader was capable of, and she wasn’t sure any of them were truly safe from him if he really snapped.

 

In any case they had all fallen silent again, so Leia turned her seat back to face outside. She had to keep an eye on the direction in which the others would come from if she wanted to greet them outside first when they returned.

 

Whenever she concentrated on the big dark presence of Vader behind her (it was easy to identity, though not so easy to delve deeper into), she found him relatively at peace. It seemed almost as if he were meditating. She sighed and leaned onto the console in front of her, resting her chin upon her folded arms.

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When she finally heard the distant shout of a wookiee, and saw the silhouettes of their friends through the foliage, it was close to sundown. She thought she’d never been so simultaneously happy and nervous to see anybody before. She stood and turned to her two companions. “Well, this is it…”

 

Han stood with her, putting away his toolbox and cracking his knuckles. Vader stood too and Leia suddenly felt pinned under his gaze. “Very well,” he said, “Let’s get this over with.”

 

“It might be best if you stay here for a minute and… I’ll… go test the waters. Or something.” She trailed off awkwardly, but he nodded anyway, crossing his arms.

 

“Be brief.” He said.

 

Han shot her a significant look, but she pulled him away by the arm before he could say anything he might regret. Lando, Chewie and Wedge had almost reached the lowered ramp of the ship when they made it outside. The air was a little cooler now, and there were a lot more insects flying about.

 

“What took so damn long?” Han asked, though he grinned and returned Chewbacca’s greeting. All three of them same to a halt, and Lando fished something out of his pocket. It was a datapad.

 

“Karrde had some very sensitive information for us. He explained that –“

 

“Not here,” Leia cut across him gently. “This isn’t the place.” She looked around them for good measure, and sighed. “Listen, there’s something you should know before we leave.”

 

Wedge crossed his arms. “Yeah hey, what was that thing you had to investigate? Everything all right?”

 

They were all watching her with rapt attention. She feared Vader’s patience might run out if she didn’t hurry, and she didn’t want anything to go wrong, so she decided she may as well just come out with it. “Somebody’s going to be joining our crew. He travelled here specifically to find us – to _help_ us, however improbable it may seem.” She could see Lando’s brow furrowing, and she knew he was putting it together already. It would be a bigger shock for Wedge, undoubtedly. “Darth Vader is here. He’s… agreed to help us.”

 

All three of them had completely different reactions. Lando pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and sighed, Chewbacca shook his head and roared, and Wedge blinked at her like a fish out of water. It was quite something.

 

“Leia?” Wedge said her name faintly, half-laughing.

 

“This isn’t a joke, Wedge. Come on inside, we’ll explain everything on the way.” She took a step back towards the ship, but Lando decided right then to voice his opinion.

 

“Hang on, I’m not lifting off with Darth Vader on board. No way…” He then looked at Han. “How could you leave him alone on the _Falcon_?”

 

“Listen I’m sorry about this, but he sort of just appeared here. I didn’t plan this.” She looked back at Wedge, who had gone at least three shades paler. “It’s about Luke. Vader admits he made a mistake with him, but he wants to undo it, and he cannot do that alone.”

 

Lando groaned. “There are so many ways this could go wrong Leia! I mean for one, how do we know this isn’t another trap?”

 

She had no answer to that, but Han helpfully chipped in. “You gotta trust us I guess.” He didn’t wait for an answer, but rather started to walk back up the ramp into the ship. It was apparently enough for Chewie, because a moment later the wookiee followed his long-time friend. Lando rubbed the back of his neck and swore under his breath before rushing after them. Only Wedge was left standing there, and Leia eyed him nervously.

 

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I promise to explain everything in detail later.” She turned to follow the others, and was relieved to hear Wedge’s footsteps behind her on the ramp. When she caught up they were just entering the living area, and Vader was standing near the table looking tremendously out of place. His grating breaths were less loud here than they had been in the cramped space of the cockpit.

 

“Calrissian,” he acknowledged, and Lando twitched. Chewie was standing in front of Han and looked particularly imposing, but Vader didn’t spare him a glance, nor any at Wedge for that matter. But the pilot put his hand on Leia’s shoulder and almost pleaded, “Can you please tell us what this is about, now?”

 

Han smirked. “I’ll err, go fire her up in the meantime.” And he disappeared up into to the cockpit. All eyes were on Leia once more, and she lost no time.

 

“Before I left to go train,” she said, looking at Wedge as she did so, “I was visited by the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He told me I was Force-Sensitive like my brother, Luke.” Wedge opened his mouth as though to interrupt, but she pressed on. “Luke and I are twins, but we never knew before. We were separated at birth, to keep us safe from our father.” That’s when she looked over at Vader, and he gave a short nod.

 

“I thought you both dead. I…” Leia could feel his unease as he hesitated.

 

The ship lurched then, indicating they were blasting off.

 

“Lando and Chewbacca already knew this, Wedge. I’m sorry, really. Sorry we had to keep this from everyone, but it was safer that way. Luke is back on Coruscant with the Emperor, and he’s in grave danger. It’ll be too late for him if we do nothing…”

 

“I though it already was.” Wedge told her.

 

At this, Vader took a step toward them. “Believe me or not, I really don’t care,” he said. “But Luke _is_ in danger. The Emperor has sent me away to ensure I could not be of help to him, and he will no doubt attempt to corrupt his mind further. To steal away his loyalty to me.”

 

There was silence as Han reappeared. He looked around and announced they were in hyperspace on a course to Arbra.

 

“Okay…” Wedge said slowly. “Let’s say for a minute that we’re on board with this. What do you intend to do? Just waltz back into Haven Base with the second-in-command of the Empire in tow and just expect everyone to be understanding? You kept all this from the entire rebellion. You apologised in front of everybody for your failed plan to rescue Luke, and admitted that he was too far-gone now. You promised you would do everything in your power to put a stop to the Empire.” He fiddled with his hands nervously. “Look, I loved Luke. He was very important to a lot of us. But the rebellion can’t risk everything for one man. One man who probably doesn’t want anything to do with us anymore anyway.”

 

Leia let Wedge finish, her heart sinking deeper by the second.

 

“We can comm them before we get there, explain everything –”

 

Wedge shook his head. “I’m trying to stay calm for your sake Leia, but listen to me. Do you know how many people at Haven Base right now would just love to shoot V –“ He stole a glance at the Sith nervously, but continued. “How many people would shoot him on sight? They won’t even ask questions. There’d be a full on shootout the second he stepped inside.”

 

She fell silent and Han sighed next to her; “He’s not wrong.”

 

Leia closed her eyes a moment to think. She knew it was folly to think they _could_ just walk into Haven base with Vader and expect everything to be okay, but what were their other choices? How could they manage anything without more resources, more manpower? How could they make this work?

 

“So you just dropped here unannounced and you don’t even have a plan, then?” Han was saying now, and Leia stared between him and Vader. She wasn’t sure how she could tell, but the Sith seemed annoyed.

 

“Palpatine sent me away four days ago. I arrived at my destination before deciding what to do, and thinking of coming to Leia. We have about a day until my absence starts to look suspicious, and so even less time to formulate a plan. Do you think that I would have come here if I weren’t absolutely serious about this? If the Emperor hears that I am not where I am supposed to be, he shall be livid. And he is already furious because of what happened on Empire Day.”

 

Han snorted. “You sort of avoided answering my question, but alright. So what _do you_ propose we do? I know for a fact you’re not a fan of the idea to use the Alliance.”

 

“I think,” Vader started slowly. “There may be another way. I can get two or three of you to Imperial City without raising alarm, where you may be able to find Luke. It will take careful planning…” He stopped, and then shook his head.

 

His uncertainty wasn’t very reassuring, Leia thought, but nobody else had any tangible ideas so far. Instead, Lando brought out the datapad he had obtained from Karrde again and sidestepped Vader on his way to the table. They all followed suit and took a seat, waiting for his report. The Sith was the only one who did not sit, an unnerving looming shadow over their little group.

 

Lando cleared his throat and handed the datapad to Leia. “Karrde sold some information to the bounty hunter Boba Fett about a month ago, but Fett hasn’t contacted him again. In fact, Karrde said Fett was MIA. Nobody knows where he is.”

 

“Well that’s never a good sign,” Han said. “Fett is good at tracking people discreetly. What’s Karrde doing a deal with that sleazebag for, anyway? I’ve got half a mind to walk back over there and give him a –”

 

Leia interjected at that point, her fingers still hovering above the pad’s on switch. “What kind of information is it?”

 

Lando smiled grimly. “Info about Luke. I don’t know what Fett had on Karrde, but it must have been bad, for him to do this to us. I mean it’s not like Karrde exclusively works for the Alliance or anything, but he usually respects us more than this.”

 

Leia was about to turn on the pad when Vader spoke next. “This situation has been dealt with.” At their surprised looks, he explained; “Luke encountered Fett on Coruscant, and managed to capture him. Fett was still bitter about losing your trace, and thought he could earn my favour by revealing my apprentice’s true parentage to me. My hatred of Jedi is no secret, and I crossed paths with Fett several times during the Clone Wars: he has no love for Jedi either. Luke disposed of Fett once he told us what he knew.”

 

The silence that followed was uncomfortable, and Leia finally pressed the button. The screen came to life and she looked it over quickly. “How,” she said softly. “How did he get this?” She asked Lando.

 

“He said one of his people worked hard to obtain it, but that they never came back either.” Lando said. “He looked quite relieved to be rid of it to be honest.”

 

Suddenly Vader put out his hand and gestured for the datapad. Leia was startled, but after a moment she gave it to him. The Sith scrolled through it quickly, and the breathing sound he made next sounded hitched. “This is an Imperial report, written shortly before the battle of Hoth. I had sent out spies to find the name of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star.” He dropped it back onto the tabletop and looked away. “I disposed of the spy after that, but evidently the report he gave me was not the only copy.”

 

Lando narrowed his eyes at the datapad. “Any chance your spy might have been someone else’s man?”

 

“I loathe to admit it,” Vader replied. “But it’s certainly possible. One can never be certain with these people.”

 

“So that spy had it, Karrde had it, and Fett had it,” Han counted. “How do we know Fett didn’t give it to anybody else? Or that it wasn’t on his ship?”

 

Everybody was silent for a moment.

 

“More importantly though, what will we tell Madine and Rieekan?” Wedge asked. “If we are even going back?”

 

“You’ll tell your leaders the truth, mostly,” Vader interjected. “You’ll say you recovered an imperial dossier on Luke. There’s really nothing else to tell. You will all return to your Alliance, but Leia and Han will accompany me to my post, where we will make plans to infiltrate Coruscant.”

 

Han sat back in his seat and eyed his future father-in-law. “Who made you the boss?” Chewbacca barked something agreeable from next to him, and Han added; “Yeah besides, wherever I go Chewie goes too.”

 

Vader fell silent again and took a step away from the table, while Leia ran her hands through her hair, in deep thought. The thought of slipping away with Vader in secret was both appealing and distasteful. She was tired of lying to everyone, but they _would_ attract less attention that way. At last, she thought she’d made up her mind. “Alright,” she started, sitting up straighter. “It’ll be night time on Arbra by the time we get there… Perfect. We’ll drop you two off,” she nodded at Lando and Wedge, “and I’ll have to tell them I’m going off to train or something. I mean, I already said I wanted to step down for a while, so… We’ll be able to get any supplies we need from the base, and then we can leave again. We’ll have to take a different ship though, of course.”

 

“I don’t like it.” Said Han.

 

“The entire Imperial Army knows what the _Millennium Falcon_ looks like, Solo.” Vader snapped at him. “We’d be shot down before we ever get close to my post.”

 

Leia interrupted before they started having a go at each other again. “What about you, Vader? You haven’t told us where you’re posted, or how you intend to get us to Coruscant anyway.”

 

Vader let out a gritty sigh. “I am stationed at Endor. Hiding you there will not be a problem.”

 

“We have no knowledge of Imperial presence near Endor.” Leia frowned.

 

“Not surprising. It is a highly secret project.”

 

“Well…” Leia sighed. “I can’t be the only one making this decision. What do you lot think?” She looked around the table. Lando smiled at her. “You do what your gut tells you, Leia.” Wedge nodded beside him, and Han took her hand under the table. “I’m with you through thick and thin, you know that.”

 

She beamed at him and squeezed his hand.

 

Lando agreed to show the datapad to Madine and Rieekan in the morning, so as not to bother anyone with something so trivial at this hour, and to reduce any risks of Vader being seen while he, Leia and Han gathered their supplies and boarded a different ship. He then stood up looking thoroughly exhausted, and mumbled that he would be in the cockpit for the rest of the journey (somebody had to pilot this thing).

 

Han made to follow him, but Vader stopped him. “I think you three had better come with me. We need to talk.” He eyed Leia and Chewbacca too before stalking down the corridor towards the crew’s quarters. Leia gave Wedge a smile as she passed him, still sitting at the table with a frown crumpling his features, and followed after the Sith.

 

“What’s this about?” Han demanded, once they were all behind a closed door. It turned out to be the bunk Han and Leia usually slept in.

 

Not that Vader seemed very interested anyway. He got straight to the point. “There’s no sense in me keeping our destination from you. I was sent out to overlook the construction of the new Death Star. That’s where I’ll be hiding you.”

 

Leia froze, and only came to her senses when Han’s fingers delicately curled around hers. She struggled to keep a straight face as the memory of her stay on the first Death Star returned to the forefront of her mind. Vader – nothing but a large shadow in the corner of the cell – the round, black droid with its many syringes – Tarkin giving the order and forcing her to watch as millions of lives were lost along with her home planet –

 

She only realised she’d been slowly backing away once her back hit the door. “Leia,” Han said softly. His face was very close to hers now, filling up her vision. Nothing else existed. “It’s fine, everything’s alright, you’re here with me,” he recited, mumbling, as he had done several times before. She didn’t usually experience this during the day, but rather woke up from nightmares some nights when she was particularly stressed. She blinked, wiped her eyes in case there were tears – there weren’t – and took a deep breath. Yoda’s teachings were still fresh in her mind, and she struggled to release her anxiety into the Force.

 

“I’ll be fine,” she said, mostly for her own benefit. Han gave her space, instead turning back to face Vader.

 

“We haven’t forgotten anything you know.” He said reproachfully. Vader remained silent. Leia was just barely feeling calmer and managed to stand up straight again. She put her hand on Han’s to soothe him. His jaw was set and he looked about ready to snap again, but he stood down. Chewie was also a comforting presence at his left. But they still felt outnumbered in front of Vader.

 

“Let’s not talk about that right now. Or ever.” Leia said decidedly. “I just don’t understand how that’s possible! Surely we’d have heard if the Empire was building another Death Star! The first one took the galaxy by surprise, but this time we know – we have spies – we –“ She stopped herself before she said anything she shouldn’t, but still kept her glare on Vader.

 

He appeared to have been waiting for her to finish panicking. “We started its construction after the battle of Yavin. The Emperor knew nobody would expect another so soon, seeing as the first one took two decades to build. I’m to oversee the project for the foreseeable future, I suspect, until Palpatine decides that Luke has been sufficiently turned.”

 

“But then –“ Han started to speak, but Vader held up a hand. There was a tense pause, and the Sith pushed them gently out of the way as he moved towards the door. It slid open to reveal Wedge, standing frozen looking up at Vader. A muscle was jumping in his cheek.

 

Leia rolled her eyes after watching them stare at each other for a moment, and rushed to let the pilot inside. Vader closed the door again and turned to face them with his arms crossed. “What do you want?”

 

To his credit, Wedge’s voice was perfectly stable when he answered. “I want to come with you. To the Death Star, and to Coruscant. Wherever you’re going. I’d be lying to myself if I said I really didn’t want anything to do with Luke anymore. He… I don’t know that I could forgive him. But if you guys think there’s a chance in hells to save him, then count me in.”

 

“It’s going to be incredibly dangerous just to get Solo and Leia to Coruscant undetected, let alone accompanied by a wookiee, and now you want to put your neck on the line as well? I cannot guarantee you won’t all be discovered. At this rate, why don’t we smuggle the entire rebellion to Coruscant?” His voice was dripping with irritated sarcasm, but Leia would have none of it.

 

“He’s obviously been listening at the door just now since he knows where you’re taking us,” she reasoned. “Would you trust him to stay quiet about the existence of this second Death Star if we left him on Arbra?”

 

Vader hesitated. “ _You_ trust him.” It only half-sounded like a question, like he’d been about to ask, but switched mid-word.

 

“I’d trust Wedge with my life. I have before. But I doubt you would.”

 

That did it. Vader nodded once at Wedge. “You are fortunate I do not end you right here –“ he snarled, before Leia interrupted him. Shesuspected he said this mostly to keep his reputation up, as there had been no real venom to his voice.

 

“Charming.” She smiled briefly at Wedge. “Well then, Wedge, meet Darth Vader. Vader, this is Wedge Antilles.”

 

“I am aware of who he is,” Vader rumbled, almost huffily.

 

“Good, then we can get right back into that plan of yours,” Han said, looking weary. “You still haven’t told us how we’re gonna manage all this. I mean for one, Leia and I are at the top of the Empire’s Most Wanted, and Chewie here wouldn’t exactly be welcome at the Imperial Palace.” He grinned at the wookiee. “Not that you’d want to be, I know.” Chewbacca barked something good-natured at him and Leia felt they must have been sharing a private joke.

 

“Very well, as I was saying,” Vader sighed, a gritty, unnerving sound. “The Death Star will be at a critical stage in its construction soon, but the personnel on board at the moment is actually relatively sparse. Most of the men are workers or engineers. My personal legion of stormtroopers is also present, but won’t be a problem. If you three are disguised as troopers, it should even be easy for you to go unnoticed. Chewbacca will have to play the part of a prisoner, I see no way around that.”

 

He spoke directly to Chewie then, surprising Leia. “If you remain in a cell, you shall be fed and none of my troops will bother you at my command. They likely will not care either way.”

 

Chewbacca roared something back at him, and Leia wasn’t attuned enough to even grasp the sentiment behind his words this time, but Vader nodded at him. Han was staring between his companion and the Sith Lord with apparent interest. “You speak Shyriiwook?” He asked, apparently struggling not to sound astonished.

 

“It has been a long time since I attempted to speak it, but I certainly understand the language, yes,” Vader answered curtly. “When one is in command of an entire galaxy, it is in one’s best interests to learn as many languages as possible. Now, if there are no more questions I should like to speak with Leia alone.”

 

Han gave her a calculating look, but she shrugged minutely at him. “Fine,” the smuggler said, “we’ll go sit in the cockpit with Lando or something. Can get lonely up there.”

 

And suddenly they were alone. Leia forced herself not to fidget or to show any outward discomfort. The seconds trickled by into an awkward silence disrupted only by the sound of her father’s breathing. She wrinkled her nose at the thought. _Her father…_ Every time she referred to him as such, it felt as though she were tarnishing Bail Organa’s memory. Bail had raised her, had cared for her. All Vader had ever done was cause her and Luke deep misery. Thoughts of the first Death Star threatened to return to the forefront of her mind again, and she fought them back as she looked over Vader’s dark mask.

 

The Sith Lord gave a heaving sigh and spoke at last. “There is much fear in you, Leia. We may never have a deep-seated bond in the Force, or it may be tenuous at best, but if we are to work together, we must work to put the past behind us. A Jedi does not dwell on the past –“

 

“Oh, so you’re going to lecture me on how to be a Jedi now are you?” She scoffed. ‘Put the past behind’, indeed. That was easy for him to say – he wasn’t the one who was tortured.

 

“You have no idea of the things in my past that I have let go of,” Vader snapped then, cutting her train of thought short.

 

_Wait._

“Did you just read my mind?” Leia asked, not caring if she sounded angry now.

 

“The mind is not ‘read’. I can merely sense, or ‘hear’ if you prefer, your thoughts through the Force. Part of you is me, do not forget.” They glowered at each other for a few moments (Leia vaguely wondered how she knew he was glaring too, not willing to admit that they had any sort of bond), and the room felt stifling all of a sudden.

 

“We will not succeed if we are not at least civil with each other,” Leia admitted. “My opinion of you will never change; Bail Organa was my father as far as I’m concerned. But I’m willing to put that aside for Luke’s sake. Frankly you could apologise for everything right now and I don’t really think I’d believe you.”

 

She crossed her arms high on her chest, unintentionally mimicking him. The Force was almost palpable now, stronger than she had ever felt it. The air in the room was definitely burning, and everything felt further away than it should be. Like the empty spaces weren’t really empty at all. Stars, she could _feel_ the raw energy. “Is this you?” She asked, feeling around in the Force, still not used to another’s presence. Yoda had been far more controlled, and definitely much calmer.

 

“What do you mean?” Vader rumbled.

 

Was he not aware of the dangerous energy curling around him? Now that she knew it was the dark side, she understood why everybody was so afraid of Vader. He was terrifying just on his own, certainly. But this darkness was domineering, creeping into her mind, looking for weaknesses... No wonder Luke had fallen prey to it.

 

“What have you done to Luke?” She asked softly.

 

His energy in the room turned annoyed. “I trained him.” Vader said.

 

“I mean, specifically.” Leia pressed him. “I can feel you in the Force… I couldn’t before, not this clearly. Is this what the dark side feels like?” As if heartened by her words, or more probably because Vader himself commanded it to, the presence grew stronger. She held her breath, but let it brush over her unimpeded. She must not let it affect her.

 

“Luke knows this power well by now,” Vader admitted. “His presence seeks out mine when troubled. The Dark side can be soothing to its students. Luke has used it to kill, and taken pleasure from the act. The dark side is passion. It is impossible to walk away from it once you start. Every Sith knows this. And none would voluntarily give it up.”

 

Leia shivered as her father’s presence receded. It was fading back into him now, as though afraid to open himself up too much. As much as Leia hated to admit it, there was a link between them. She tried not to focus on it too closely. “What can we do?” She asked softly.

 

“I do not know for sure,” he answered her. “But Luke’s fate will be much worse if we leave him in the hands of the Emperor. Palpatine is a knowledgeable master, but he will twist Luke, use him for his own ends, and ultimately sacrifice him if need be. Or more likely, once he realises that Luke is indeed far more powerful than I am, he will turn him against me.”

 

“But… Luke wouldn’t, would he? He abandoned us, and the Alliance, to go chasing after you all because of his idealistic belief in you! I’m still not sure how that happened, mind you.” She aimed a demanding stare at Vader then, and the Sith’s shoulders squared.

 

“Luke believed he could save me from the dark side. I discouraged the idea, but he was fervent. No doubt he thinks I was unaware of his intentions – but I’m no fool. I don’t believe he would have stayed and agreed to be my student if he understood that I cannot be saved. I do not need to be _saved_ from anything.” Vader was almost snarling now. “Luke is – _was_ – much too compassionate.”

 

“I’m sure _you_ see compassion as a flaw,” Leia scoffed. “But this discussion is leading nowhere good. So I concede – let’s put this all behind us for now. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get some sleep before we reach Arbra. Getting you off the Falcon and on another ship is going to be extremely risky, and once we get to the Death Star I’m not sure how much rest I’m going to get…” She peeled off her jacket and folded it neatly before setting it down on her side of the pillow on the bunk behind her. Vader still had his back to the door, and there was a good metre between them.

 

“I can’t say I’m extremely fond of your plan, but Han and I have gotten pretty good at making the best of questionable situations by now, and we always manage to come out on top. Somehow.” She was using her most reassuring tone of voice, but her father just grunted.

 

“I highly disapprove of that pirate –”

 

“Okay,” Leia interrupted him, shaking her head. “We are not having that discussion. Are we done?”

 

Vader stood still as a statue for a moment, then bowed his head. The door behind him swished open on its own and he took his leave, his cape billowing dramatically behind him.

 

Leia flopped down on the bunk, exhausted and irritated already at the prospect of spending more time with him. The fact that Han would be there with her was a small comfort, given how tense those two were around each other. She sighed and rolled onto her side, freeing her thoughts into the Force and letting sleep take her.

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Several hours later, the _Millennium Falcon_ settled down in the main hangar of Haven base. It was almost completely in darkness, and silent as a tomb. Chewie went to stand guard at the single door between it and the actual base, while Wedge was first to hurry off and get his supplies. Leia stood on the boarding ramp, trying to stay calm. She released her queasiness into the Force; they would be fine. Nobody should be up at this hour, anyway. They’d arrived two hours before dawn.

 

Behind her stood Darth Vader, close enough to observe the hangar but still hidden in shadow in case anybody did happen to come in. But her attention right now was on Han and Lando, who appeared to be saying goodbye.

 

“Since we can’t take the _Falcon_ …” Han was saying. “Take good care of her, alright?”

 

Lando visibly brightened, and nodded. “Of course! Don’t you worry. She… I know how much she means to you. She won’t get a scratch.” Han held up his hand to stop his friend, already looking anxious at the prospect of leaving his prized ship here. His jaw was set.

 

Lando shot a glance towards the ship, and then his eyes met with Leia’s for a moment, before settling on something behind her. He looked away almost immediately, shivering visibly, and gave Han one last friendly slap on the shoulder.

 

As soon as Wedge returned, it was Han and Leia’s turn.

 

They rushed to the quarters they’d previously been occupying on the base and slipped inside quietly. All their bunks were still made, and they hastily packed all the clothes they could manage, as well as any food still lying around, and were off again.

 

Han was wearing an annoyed look once he was in the captain’s seat of the Chandrilan barge they were going to take. It was a rusty old thing the Alliance hardly used for anything anymore, so hopefully they wouldn’t miss it. It was hardly a fair trade for the _Falcon_ in any case.

 

Leia saw him gaze longingly at his ship during lift off, but soon enough they were out of the hangar and off the planet again. Chewie and Wedge were in the crew’s quarters already but Vader had just joined she and Han in the cockpit. She held her breath as Vader took a seat and set the coordinates for the Death Star.

 

And they blasted off into hyperspace.

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	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I know it's been ages since I updated this, and thank you all so much for your continued support. I get messages all the time from people asking me to finish this story - some of you have been around literally for years! - so thanks.
> 
> I went back and did some editing (read: a LOT of editing), but nothing major story-wise. Also, I can't promise anything, but we're definitely nearing the end now, and I hope to get this story finished soon. Enjoy!

The hangar at Darth Vader’s castle was blissfully quiet as Luke took a seat next to one of the many priceless speeders. It was three days after Empire Day, after the worst birthday of his life by far, and the event was still fresh in his mind. The hangar door was open, letting through a warm breeze. Luke sighed.

 

His new arm felt less heavy today. He must be getting used to it at last, but it still hurt whenever he moved too quickly. The points of contact between it and his flesh had yet to heal completely. Perhaps it had been a bit soon for him to spar with Mara Jade.

 

He tightened his jaw. She too was still on his mind, particularly her knowing smirk at the end of their training session yesterday, when he had no longer been able to mask the pain caused by his new limb. She had been the one to suggest that he get some rest. She’d also informed him that the Emperor wished to see him the following evening. So, feeling more than a little dejected, Luke had returned to his father’s residence, and tried to get some sleep. His sense of time was all screwed up and he slept most of the afternoon and night, only to wake up just before dawn feeling restless.

 

There was nothing to do in this castle but brood over his situation and walk around aimlessly under the watchful stares of stormtrooper guards. He didn’t even come across Nat, and he supposed she was still visiting her mother. Or maybe she was gone too, with the fleet and Vader. That seemed more likely. Whenever his thoughts went down this path, his chest felt cold. Empty.

 

Luke examined the red speeder next to him. It was a stunning thing, and heavily modified. He couldn’t really be sure of the model, but it was obviously sporty, built for high speeds and sharp manoeuvres. He felt the itch to take it out, even though his arm still needed to heal, and he was certain Vader wouldn’t approve of him piloting one of his prized speeders after what had happened last time… Luke smirked at that; didn’t Vader always say material possessions were worthless, and that he should endeavour to let go of them all? Owning dozens of luxury speeders and starships seemed a little contradictory to his philosophy.

 

Just as Luke was starting to seriously contemplate the pros and cons of taking one of the vehicles for a spin, he saw movement from outside. A sleek electric blue speeder had just landed in an empty space and Luke blinked, surprised.

 

The pilot jumped out and immediately made her way to him. “Good morning Luke,” Nat said pleasantly enough. Luke found he could not return her greeting. Instead of the smile he knew he’d usually offer, he remained seated and calmly met her gaze.

 

“I just got back,” she stated as though it weren’t obvious. She sounded tired. “How was Empire Day?”

 

“You didn’t celebrate it?”

 

“I… My mother isn’t in any condition to be going to parades.”

 

“Oh,” was all Luke replied. He didn’t know what to say. It felt like he should, but his throat was tight and his insides burned with the raging storm of the dark side. He could feel it constantly now, ever since the accident.

 

Speaking of which, Nat had just come to a halt in front of him and finally seemed to take in his appearance. Her lips parted in an obvious question.

 

“You must’ve heard about what happened to the _Judicator_ , though?”

 

She nodded warily. “Saw it on the news, yeah. You…?”

 

“I was on board. I would have died, but the Admiral got me on an escape pod just in time.”

 

Nat’s expression turned to pity. “I’m so sorry! That must have been dreadful. Does it still hurt?”

 

“No,” he lied. “And don’t bother. I don’t need anybody’s pity.” He spoke through his teeth, but it had a rather unexpected effect. Instead of backing away or even realising he wasn’t in the mood, Nat dragged a crate closer and sat down next to him.

 

“Looks like we both had a bad weekend then.”

 

He seriously doubted she’d had half as bad a time as him but Luke resisted the urge to snap, and turned to her calmly. “Mum’s taken a turn for the worst…” She muttered. “She’s been sick for over a year, but I’m not ready for her to die. My job in the Navy means I haven’t spent nearly as much time with her as I’d like, and I’ll probably be away from Coruscant when she passes.” Her voice was smaller than Luke had ever heard it, and for a moment he felt like comforting her.

 

But he could not will his hand to move to her shoulder, nor his lips to form soothing words. A long minute of silence went by, and Nat turned to him again, this time with slightly tearful eyes. She was looking at him curiously, even cautiously. “What are you going to be doing now that Lord Vader is away?”

 

Luke closed his eyes and turned his head slightly so she wouldn’t notice his expression. It was sure to be pained. Of course Nat had no idea how painful it was for him to be separated from Vader right now. He didn’t answer her, and instead asked a question of his own.

 

“How come you didn’t leave with the fleet?”

 

“The fleet isn’t gone…” She said slowly. “Lord Vader took only a few squadrons of stormtroopers with him on the _Executor_. Nobody knows where they went. It’s all a bit too hush, hush, frankly.”

 

Luke gave a short nod. He wasn’t even curious. What did it matter where his father had gone? The only fact that mattered to Luke was that he was not with him.

 

At last, Nat seemed to realise Luke wasn’t going to be great company. She stood and shuffled away. “Sorry for bothering you with this,” she said awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to. You’re just…” She hesitated, and Luke felt a vague feeling of concern from her. “You’re usually so easy to talk to. But you’ve obviously got a lot on your mind already. I’ll leave.”

 

Luke grit his teeth. “It’s not you, Nat.” He assured her, standing up as well. “I’m… My accident made me see how weak I was. I won’t make that mistake again. And Vader’s gone off Force knows where, so I can only rely on myself now.”

 

“You’re not alone Luke.”

 

“Stop,” he growled. He was annoyed at himself more than anything else; why couldn’t he seem to get his point across? “I can’t be your friend. That time has passed. I don’t know why you insist on acting like I’m just regular guy, but it needs to stop.” To his dismay, Nat’s eyes softened. “I have to go,” he said quickly, making to push her out of his way.

 

“You’re the one who desperately acts like you wanna be like the rest of us, Luke,” she told him, standing her ground firmly. “I’ve known my share of bad people. And you are not one of them. Even if you’ve killed people, even if Lord Vader is training you to be a Sith. You –”

 

“Stop!” Luke yelled this time. “I’ve been putting on this act, like I can stay regular guy, but I can’t and I was a fool for trying! Stay away from me, or I’ll just end up hurting you as well!” That murderous feeling filled his heart then, and his face felt hot.

 

Nat bit her lip but did not move, and Luke suddenly had enough. His anger needed an outlet and, without knowing what might happen if he let it through, he shut his eyes and released the pent-up rage. Rumbling filled his ears and when he opened his eyes, Nat was on the floor a few metres away, her eyes wide. The Force had pushed her into a stack of crates, which were now in a pile, contents strewn everywhere.

 

“Just stay away,” he warned one last time and rushed to the lift at the far corner of the hangar. He knew he shouldn’t have done that. He wasn’t Vader; he didn’t have permission to attack anybody without orders. The more distance he put between himself and other people, the better.

 

“You remind me of my little brother.”

 

Nat’s cracked voice made him pause, but he kept his back to the hangar. He almost laughed, her words were so unexpected. But her voice was serious, and it sounded like she’d been bursting to say this for a long time.

 

“He died in an accident years ago,” she went on. “I was really protective of him. Maybe I was trying to be like a sister to you because of that. I’m sorry.”

 

Luke heard some rustling and tools clanging across the floor, and knew she was leaving the hangar too, in the opposite direction. Troubled and angry, he entered a lift and made his way up to his quarters.

 

There was a cold feeling in the back of his mind where the link with his father should be. It still existed, but as a painful reminder. He yearned to fill it with something, but his father was millions of lightyears away. The presence he’d come to associate with _father_ had disappeared, almost like it had never existed, and he couldn’t deny how much he already missed the feeling of a familial bond. Nat’s words had hit too close for comfort.

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They came out of hyperspace a good distance away from the Death Star, as Vader had instructed, but it was still close enough that it filled up most of the viewport. Or perhaps it was simply the fact that it was so much _bigger_ than its predecessor. Stars, it was massive. Leia felt a bit sick just looking at it, so she turned towards her companions instead. Han was busying himself with the Nav computer, probably so he didn’t have to look at the station they were about to board, whereas Chewie and Wedge were quietly sitting in the corner.

 

Just then, Vader came in behind them, and Leia stood to greet him. “What’s the plan?”

 

“You will all have to remain hidden on board this ship until I can find you some uniforms. Your faces are too well-known, so you shall have to be troopers. As for Chewbacca, I could have him put in a quiet cell, or with some of the other non-human workers–”

 

“You mean slaves?” Han cut in, crossing his arms. Chewbacca grumbled something in the background.

 

Vader turned slightly to look down upon them. “There is no way around it if we are to avoid any suspicion. Even I cannot order a wookiee to be allowed to walk freely in a base under Empire control!” As he spoke, Han stood up as well, his eyes narrowing.

 

To everyone’s surprise, Chewie was the one who stood between Han and Vader. He roared something at Han, who frowned in return. “Well, if you’re sure…”

 

Vader simply nodded. “Very well, once you three are in uniform, you may safely escort Chewbacca to a workstation.”

 

“He says he’d rather keep an eye out than sit in a cell…” Han said, for everyone else’s sake.

 

Leia was about to ask how they were going to board, when the sound of static came from the old comm unit. “ _Unidentified_ _Chandrilian shuttle, this is a highly restricted area. What is your heading?_ ” Vader quickly strode over and pressed the transmitter. “Authorisation code: 8051-8833-2416. I wish to land in Hangar 272. Make the necessary arrangements at once.”

 

There was quite a long silence on the other end, and then the officer spoke again, stumbling over his own words. _“L-Lord Vader! My apologies, we didn’t realise! This is not the ship you left with…”_

 

“I am well aware,” Vader snapped. “And it is none of your concern. I trust there will be no further delay.” There was an underlying threat to each of his words and the officer hastily assured him that he could prepare to land at once. Leia sighed and stared out the viewport as the looming shadow of the _Death Star II_ drew closer.

 

“Once we land, find a suitable place to wait on this ship. And keep _quiet._ No one should come aboard without good reason, but if they do, call for me through the Force. If all goes well I will return to retrieve you as soon as possible.” Vader continued talking rather calmly.

 

“Fine,” Han said, as Leia nodded; “Understood.”

 

The next few minutes trickles by in silence, and once they were in range of the watchtowers, they all relocated to a small bunk near the entrance of the ship. There were only two bunks on board, and they weren’t cosy by any standard. The ship was built for functionality more than anything else; it definitely wasn’t the sort of vessel you wanted to take with you for a week-long journey.

 

Once they felt the thud that meant they had landed, Leia shut the door and leaned back against Han. It was rather dark, and cramped and smelly in here. They could also hear the muffled sounds of Vader snarling orders at people as he disembarked.

 

“Well,” Han snorted. “ _This_ is going to be a memorable trip.”

 

Chewie woofed softly in response and then they all fell silent. Leia hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin upon them, in deep thought. Even if they didn’t get anywhere near Luke, or even if Vader betrayed them in the end, the Sith still trusted them enough to bring them here. It didn’t appear to be a trap as of yet, seeing as how he could very easily have subdued them by now. That had to mean something didn’t it? Leia knew she could never completely trust him, but for now she could only hope their alliance would be effective.

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It was some time before Vader returned, about two hours, but no more than that. He had obtained three sets of stormtrooper armour roughly in their size, along with some blasters to complete the disguises.

 

“Trust me with a blaster, huh?” Han commented as he fastened his chest piece on.

 

“You are no more a threat to me with a blaster in your hand than without,” Vader said coolly. “Remember what happened last time you shot at me.” At that Han shut his mouth with a click of his teeth. If Vader was referencing their time on Bespin, well… that could only bring back unpleasant memories for Han, Leia thought.

 

Indeed, Han was silent for a while but then he popped his helmet on and huffed. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how you _tortured_ me for no good reason –”

 

“If you’re waiting on an apology, don’t waste your breath,” Vader interrupted. Leia rolled her eyes and gently pulled on Han’s arm to get him moving. “I agree with you,” she mumbled at him, “but please, please try not to piss him off.”

 

“Yeah…” Han grumbled back. “I guess we don’t need him angry at us on top of everythin’ else…”

 

They came to a halt, and Vader waited for Wedge to put his helmet on too. “Be silent now,” he said. “Simply follow me. And look alive, Solo.” He then whirled around and stalked across the hangar, leaving them to hurry in his wake. They tried to look as alert as possible, which wasn’t too hard for Leia – she already felt so on edge. Chewie trudged behind them, his arms in binders.

 

It took ages of walking though cold, empty corridors, journeys down countless lifts, until they finally reached a mostly unfinished part of the station. It was a gigantic hangar, still being built apparently, and full of workers. They didn’t get more than a quick view as Vader led them into an adjacent room, this one full of imperials. Some of them remembered to stand to attention when their Sith Lord entered, but most simply sat frozen at their desks. The man in charge quickly recovered from his gaping and came to greet them.

 

Vader pushed Chewie forward, though he did so gently. “Put this wookiee to work.”

 

An awkward silence followed. “At once, my Lord…” The officer said slowly. “Er… Can we be of assistance in any other way?”

 

“No, that will be all.” Vader snapped, obviously annoyed, and turned on his heel again to leave. Leia watched the imperials in the room blink at each other for a moment before following. As soon as she did she heard one of them; “Was that really Lord Vader…?”

 

Nobody said a word as they followed Vader through the Death Star again, and people jumped out of their way as soon as they spotted him. It might have been funny to watch if he’d been anybody else.

 

They soon reached their destination however, a deserted corridor, and Vader hurried them in before shutting the door behind them. He gestured for them to remove their helmets.

 

“I have been given these quarters for my personal use. Nobody is allowed in here so you shall be well hidden for now.” He walked over to the back of the room. There was no viewport in here, and only a small sitting area with a pair of sofas to the side. “I cannot freely return to Coruscant, or at the very least I cannot announce that I am returning. And security is sure to be tight around the planet. I see no way for me to go there without the Emperor hearing about it.”

 

“Alright,” Leia said. “But there must be a way for us to make it?”

 

“That was the point of us coming here after all.” Vader nodded. “I can have you relocated to Coruscant on the next transport. But after that you shall be on your own.”

 

“What do you mean?” Han frowned. “You won’t be able to help us get in anywhere?”

 

“I cannot do too much without arousing suspicion. I can make sure you get to Imperial City, perhaps even have you stationed around my residence. But we will have time to think these details through carefully.”

 

Leia moved to sit on a sofa and the others followed, while Vader stood in front of them. “And when will the next transport to Coruscant be?”

 

“They are careful not to risk too many movements between here and Coruscant,” Vader sighed. “Only if they need important supplies or for a change of personnel. It’s usually every few months, but I’ll press as much as I can.”

 

“Months?” Leia repeated. If they took months to get to Coruscant, who knows how far gone Luke would be?

 

Han was smirking though. “I can’t imagine they’ll refuse an order to move troops to Coruscant sooner if it comes from you.”

 

At this, Vader began to pace. “Our main worry is the Emperor. If he suspects I’m acting oddly, we will certainly be discovered. The officers on this station may obey me without question, but do not forget that they answer to the Emperor first and foremost. Palpatine is still very much on his guard because of the Empire Day fiasco, and we must assume that he is watching me as closely as possible, despite the distance between us.”

 

Leia shared a look with Han and Wedge then, certain they felt as helpless as she did. “Do you think he could already know you’re planning something?” She asked Vader.

 

The Sith sighed deeply. “No… But we do have an advantage; he doesn’t know that I have children.”

 

Han made a face like he didn’t understand what Vader was getting at, but Leia met the Sith’s gaze head-on. The Emperor had no idea, or at least he wasn’t worried that Vader might betray him for anybody else _because_ he didn’t know that his children still lived. She could feel Han and Wedge staring between her and her father, and after letting the silence stretch out for a bit, Vader finally looked away.

 

“That’s enough for now. Rest, and let us discuss this later.” He moved further away to give them space, strangely enough. Or perhaps he needed space for himself.

 

Wedge stretched and stood up. “I definitely need to sleep… Not sure how good a sleep it’s going to be on this station, but.” Han made an agreeable sound and got up as well. As he turned to her, Leia shook her head.

 

“Go on, I’ll… be right with you in a minute.” She bit her lip though, and Han gave her a look that plainly said _Are you okay?_

She nodded hastily and he reluctantly followed Wedge into the next room. Leia remained seated, gathering her thoughts, but Vader decided to speed things along.

 

“Well?” His voice lacked its usual edge. Perhaps he would be less prone to anger for once. She set her helmet to the side and began unfastening various parts of her armour.

 

“You won’t be coming with us to Coruscant.” It wasn’t really a question, but it invited an answer.

 

“I cannot…”

 

“On Trindello you were talking like you were ready to lead an attack on Imperial City!”

 

“That is not a feasible plan!” He retorted. “We do not have the numbers – even if every single person on this space station joined us it still would not be enough. I have rethought my initial strategy and I now think it is in our best interest to approach this discreetly.”

 

“I’m frankly surprised you think so,” Leia admitted, standing up herself now and discarding her pauldrons. “I may hate the Empire, but I can still respect the way you lead your troops. You’re always confident, you keep a cool head in hard situations! I bet it’s one of the things you do have in common with Anakin –” She stopped herself, but the damage had already been done. Vader’s temper flared at the mention of his old name.

 

This time it only spurred Leia on. “You want to know what I think?”

 

“Do tell.” Vader growled.

 

“It feels to me like you want to avoid facing the Emperor yourself because you’re scared of what will happen if he orders you to turn against Luke.” She undid the ties in her hair and flung it all over one shoulder. “And against me, too. You still feel like you have to obey anything he tells you to do! Not only that, but you’ve gotten used to things going your way. The Empire has grown so powerful that you haven’t faced an actual threat in so long and now you’re scared of losing.”

 

“You know nothing –” Vader snarled.

 

“Of course, you haven’t _had_ anything to lose in so long either,” Leia went on, “that it must hurt so much, to think you might lose us. How painful it must have been when you thought Luke had died – not once, but twice now – and I think… I think you’ve forgotten how to deal with loss. I love Luke so much, but I know we may not be able to save him. I’m scared of failing. And _I_ can admit that.”

 

Actually she wanted to believe they could save him, but that’s not what Vader needed to hear right now. A reality check was in order.

 

They stared at each other for several long moments, and Vader began to speak, more calmly this time.

 

“I am well aware we might fail. No mission is ever guaranteed – I learned that the hard way. In my youth I was foolhardy, I thought I was indestructible, and that I could protect everyone. But war made me grow up.” Vader wasn’t looking at Leia but rather talking into thin air, like it was easier that way. “People die. You can do everything in your power to stop it but they still die. Never presume that I believe myself above these things. I have seen more loss and destruction than you can imagine.”

 

He stood still for a moment, before sense seemed to return to him and he walked over towards the exit. “My attention is needed elsewhere. Call for me if there is anything wrong.”

 

Then he was gone.

 

Leia sighed deeply and gathered up the stray parts of her stormtrooper armour to follow after Han and Wedge into the next room.

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In reality, Vader was not needed anywhere on the Death Star at present. He was only really here to supervise. Admittedly they weren’t quite on schedule, and his presence on board could only help motivate the workers, but his workload was negligible. The station had been functioning adequately well before his arrival and would continue to do so without him.

 

Luke however…

 

Vader felt empty whenever his son crossed his mind, as though a giant gaping hole had appeared in his chest, plain for all to see. The unfamiliar feeling of _weakness._ The dark side seemed to hiss at him for it. How could he ever expect to grow more powerful when half his attention was focused on another being?

 

But Vader could no longer become more powerful. He shook his head once, grunting. His condition would not allow him to. He was tired, and he realised this more than ever now that he was alone – now that the corner of his mind usually occupied by Luke’s presence was vacant. If he cared to meditate on this he could surely analyse just how much of an effect Luke had had on him, but for now he wouldn’t. He was in enough of a strange mood already.

 

His daughter’s words had been difficult to hear, but needed. He could at least acknowledge that. He _was_ afraid, and so beyond belief. And for the first time in a long time he did not even want to release that feeling into the Force. He needed to let himself feel all of it.

 

Thankfully there was nobody around now. He’d made his way to the Emperor’s quarters, which were currently half-completed, dark, cold and deserted, and was looking out the viewport at the vastness outside.

 

At that moment he felt a certain kinship with the dark empty universe. Most of it was void, and the only pinpricks of light were impressions of long-dead stars hanging in a black tapestry. It was comforting to know that space did not forget either, that the brightest stars still remained in memory millions of light-years away.

 

Maybe Luke was also looking out at the stars tonight, somewhere across that long stretch of nothing.

 

Vader turned away, his bad mood softened. It was cool in the Emperor’s as of yet unoccupied quarters as no one was bothering to keep it heated, and so reminiscent of his hyperbaric chamber. He forced himself to concentrate, putting thoughts of his son, and his issues with Leia, aside for a moment.

 

There must be a way to get Leia close to Luke without attracting attention. Even Palpatine was not all seeing, and his attention would be divided in the coming weeks, focused on Luke and his training. Apprentices had a way of taking up more of your time than anticipated, and Palpatine had not had another true apprentice since before Darth Vader came into existence. There had been other dark side fledglings – certainly the Jade girl had had more than a few lessons with their mutual master – but none had been bestowed with the title of Darth before Luke.

 

This was equal parts reassuring and unsettling. On one hand Vader knew his master would not have given the title if he wasn’t absolutely sure of Luke’s potential, but he also felt that it was premature. Luke had only tentatively embraced the dark side before, and now he was being asked to take it all in at once. Vader, too, had been turned quickly but it took years for him to really _understand_ the dark side. That was not what he had wanted for Luke. Palpatine was an unforgiving master, and so Vader felt an urgency to act.

 

At last he turned away from the viewport and started his journey down to the hangars where he knew he’d find a certain admiral he knew was trustworthy. Anybody on this station would obey him of course, but not many were truly _loyal_ to him. They would need outside help for this plan to be feasible and if they were betrayed, they would not get a second chance at it.

.

.

.

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Vader had never been more relieved to see one of his officers than when he finally located Admiral Piett. The man was busy watching over some technicians running a test of some kind, all of them hunched over a terminal and arguing among themselves, but he stood to attention once he noticed Vader approaching.

 

“My Lord,” he said in acknowledgement, and the workers around him all scrambled to stand straight.

 

“Resume your work,” Vader said to the others before glancing at Piett. “Admiral, with me.”

 

He continued on his way to another exit, confident that Piett was following behind him, and did not stop until he reached a more desolate part of the station where he knew no ears were like to overhear them. His own chambers, where Leia, Solo and Antilles were resting, were not far, but they entered an out of use office with a single desk and a few chairs scattered about.

 

Piett closed the door behind him and stood smartly, awaiting orders as always, and Vader took a moment to observe the man. The time back on Coruscant had been kind to Piett, that much was apparent. He looked less exhausted than he had been back in deep space and, though he had been in command of the _Executor_ on the way here, he seemed more relaxed than he’d ever seen him. However, Vader had never once uttered the phrase ‘at ease’, and he wasn’t about to break his streak.

 

“Have a seat if you wish,” he said stiffly instead. The admiral’s stance loosened, but he did not sit.

 

“Before I get to the point of this meeting, I must be absolutely certain of your loyalty.” Vader held up a hand to stop Piett, who was obviously about to spew some memorised paragraph about his undying loyalty to the Empire. “If you are even a fraction unsure about your loyalty to _me_ , your willingness to serve _me_ , I shall ask you to leave this room now. You may continue to do your job as before and we shall never speak of this again.”

 

There was a long silence as Piett considered this. Vader waited calmly. That he was taking time to think was a good sign. Vader knew that if he had threatened the man in any way he would never have gotten the truth. This way, the admiral truly had a choice.

 

He knew his choice of words had not gone unnoticed, and that Piett was deliberating whether or not he would put his loyalty to Vader before anything else.

 

After a moment, Piett cleared his throat smartly. “Of course, Lord Vader. I am utterly loyal to you. Whatever this is about, I am sure you can trust me with it.”

 

“If I asked you to do something for the good of the galaxy, but that could get you executed for treason if you were found out, would you do it?”

 

Piett blinked. His eyebrows rose almost imperceptibly. “My Lord, I am sworn to obey your every order, no questions asked. It wouldn’t be the first time you ask me to do something… erm, shall we say, not quite legal.”

 

Vader almost could have shared in the humour of that statement if this situation weren’t so serious. “If I told you what this is about, nothing could stop you from repeating it, if you so wished. You would not live long afterwards of course, but you could ruin me.”

 

Slowly, Piett spoke again. “I would not. Whatever it is you wish to tell me, I will not tell another soul.” Vader could see he was curious now. It was understandable. Nobody knew anything about Vader’s personal life, or indeed if he even had one. Nobody knew if Darth Vader was his real name, or where he had come from. Some people doubted he was human.

 

Piett’s apparent willingness to serve him was reassuring, but still he hesitated. He could simply kill Piett of course if his reaction was not satisfactory, but to be perfectly honest he would rather not. Vader rarely kept anyone around – in what could perhaps be called his inner circle – for this long. Piett had become a constant, hard working and reliable. He would not hesitate to kill him if necessary but it would be a loss.

 

In the end though, he really had no other choice. He had brought only Piett and a squadron of his 501st with him to this station, and he would sooner trust Piett than a stormtrooper.

 

“It is about Luke,” Vader finally decided on saying. Piett kept his expression composed, but Vader knew he wasn’t surprised. Piett and Luke had met on several occasions and certainly there was some curiosity there. “Luke is my son.”

 

This time Piett’s cool facade slipped. He did not speak but his eyes said it all.

 

“All you need to know is that I was unaware of his existence until we met at Yavin. He was with the rebels then but became loyal to me after learning that I am his father.” That was mostly the truth anyway. Piett’s expression was fascinated now. “The Force is difficult to tame however and without me to teach him, he is a danger to others and himself. The Emperor would keep me from him, and so I cannot return to Coruscant without good reason. I need you to escort someone to Imperial Center on my behalf so that they may help Luke.”

 

“Who?” Piett asked.

 

“All in good time, Admiral. The Force is… complicated. The dark side prevents me from claiming Luke. He belongs to the man I once was, not the Sith. Therefore, I… have not told the Emperor who he truly is. You are now one of a handful of beings in the galaxy who know that he is my son. If the Emperor were to find out he would kill us both, perhaps he would do it himself, or perhaps he would have me kill the boy. And he would certainly kill anyone who knew but kept it from him.”

 

Piett nodded and said faintly, “I see.”

 

Seconds trickled by and Piett did not say anything further. Impatient, Vader hooked his thumbs about his belt and stood straighter. “Time is of the essence, Admiral.”

 

Piett stared for half a beat, then shook himself. “I understand completely, please forgive me, I’m still taking this in…” He cleared his throat. “I understand. It should be no trouble for me to arrange transport to Coruscant, and I doubt my departure would be a problem.”

 

“I am counting on it. Still, it would be best if as little people as possible know you are leaving.”

 

“Alright,” Piett shuffled tautly. “Should I take any troopers with me just in case?”

 

“No. I think you’ll find your company more than capable. One of them will pilot the ship. And they will no doubt make for interesting conversation.” _To say the least…_ Vader’s lip twitched as he spoke.

 

“Very well. When do I depart?”

 

“We shall wait until the next rotation, when there are less people about the station. Use one of the smaller hangars.” Vader moved one step towards the door. “Before I take you to meet the others, know this. If you betray me, I hope for your sake you die before we ever cross paths again. Do not make me regret keeping you around all these years.”

 

“I would never dream of it, my Lord!” He looked legitimately offended. “My loyalty to you is true. It is you I have served under all these years, not His Majesty…” Before he could go on, Vader opened the door and gestured for him to follow. Piett seemed to have more to say, but this was not a subject Vader wanted to discuss at length.

 

The walk back to his assigned chambers was short, and Vader decided to warn Leia of their arrival beforehand. He reached out for her presence and found her drifting near sleep.

 

_Wake your companions and join me in the main room. We have much to discuss._

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has been getting a lot more attention than usual lately. Considering I didn't touch it for over a year, I can't help but wonder if it was recc'd somewhere or something?


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to give a quick shout-out to some people before this chapter:
> 
> kersenwiek and solvingmysteriesin221b on tumblr drew me some amazing art!! thank you both again!
> 
> [kersenwiek's drawings of luke and leia here](http://kersenwiek.tumblr.com/post/137022331333)
> 
> [luke drawings by solvingmysteriesin221b](http://solvingmysteriesin221b.tumblr.com/post/137721714928)
> 
> [sith luke by solvingmysteriesin221b](http://solvingmysteriesin221b.tumblr.com/post/137777688918)
> 
> if anyone wants to come talk to me on tumblr i'm over at [drthcaedus!](http://drthcaedus.tumblr.com/)

Vader’s presence had Leia jumping up from bed in an instant. She still wasn’t used to his dark aura, never mind having it enter her mind uninvited. Han stirred on the other end of the couch.

 

Leia pulled the blanket off from him and shook his shoulder lightly. “Han, wake up. We have to meet Vader, he says it’s important.”

 

He let out a sleepy snort. “What d’he want?”

 

“I don’t know yet, but get up. I’m gonna wake Wedge as well.”

 

“Oh well of course, if His Lordship demands it…” Han reluctantly sat up. “What, doesn’t he sleep? What’s he need us for at this hour?”

 

Leia simply shrugged, before turning to the small bunk where Wedge was fast asleep also.

 

Two minutes later and they were all dressed and ready to meet Vader. They found him standing in the middle of the quarters’ common room, accompanied by an admiral. Han and Wedge stiffened on either side of Leia, and she felt Han’s hand graze her hip as he rested it on his blaster.

 

The Admiral seemed just as surprised to see them, and even more horror-struck. His mouth fell open for a moment before he managed to school his expression into a passable one of curiosity.

 

He looked to Vader expectantly, but before he could ask why the some of the most wanted rebels in the galaxy were on board the top secret _Death Star II_ , Han took a step forward. Leia saw the admiral’s gaze drop to the blaster.

 

“What in hells is this about, Vader?”

 

Ignoring him completely, Vader turned and looked between the admiral and Leia. “Admiral Piett, Leia Organa.” Leia nodded stiffly at the admiral, and he just stared right back at her coolly. “She is my daughter. Luke’s twin.”

 

The admiral’s eyes widened comically at that. Leia frowned at Vader and opened her mouth to speak, but Han was already way ahead of her. “Oh great, are we just telling people left and right now? Shouldn’t that be Leia’s decision too? I mean, who is this guy even?”

 

“Han…” She softly touched the hand that was on his blaster.

 

“You don’t need to defend him,” Han said. “This is not okay! Why –”

 

“Solo, that is enough.” Vader growled. “Piett is here to escort you all to Imperial City. He has already agreed, and I trust your identities will not change that.” He stared at the admiral as he spoke.

 

Piett recovered from his shock somewhat and, though he was still staring Leia up and down, acquiesced. “I… I’ll admit to some curiosity, but I will still see them safely to Coruscant. Whatever you need, my Lord.”

 

Wedge scoffed, speaking up for the first time. “And we’re supposed to just trust that?”

 

“Yeah!” Han added. “How do we know he won’t just try and shove us all out the airlock the moment we’re out there?”

 

“Admiral Piett,” Leia said slowly. “You’re second in command of Death Squadron, aren’t you?”

 

“Indeed. I have been serving Lord Vader for years.”

 

Leia turned to look at her father. “So you trust him?” She prodded at the Force for good measure, and felt him respond.

 

“I have complete faith in Admiral Piett for this mission.” He said.

 

Feeling both Han and Wedge’s eyes on her, Leia gave a curt nod.

 

“ _Really?_ ” Han mumbled at her, as though that would prevent Vader and Piett from hearing.

 

“Admiral, this is Wedge Antilles, and Captain Han Solo.”

 

“Ah,” Piett nodded to Han. “Lord Vader mentioned you were a skilled pilot.”

 

Vader bristled at this and Leia assumed that Piett was paraphrasing somewhat. But the admiral didn’t seem to notice his commander’s annoyance, whilst Han gaped openly at Vader. Leia had to fight the urge to laugh.

 

“I know my way around a ship, yeah,” he said mildly, still looking at the Sith.

 

Leia cleared her throat. “So, when do you think we can depart?”

 

“Admiral Piett knows the schedule to this station, including all upcoming departures.” Vader provided, and Piett hastened to agree.

 

“Yes, and I believe I can arrange for a transport very soon; perhaps a week. I’ve been accumulating sick days, and now would be an adequate time to use them. There is an older shuttle that would not be missed, and as long as we have the pretence of journeying to Coruscant for supplies, there should be no problem. It is a very old shuttle though –”

 

“No worries,” Han said, smugly now. “I’m sure she’ll be no trouble for me.”

 

Piett hummed. “Yes, I’ve seen that freighter you pilot.”

 

Leia felt Han square his shoulders at that, and she spoke now to Vader before he could give the admiral another reason to dislike them. “A far cry from your estimated ‘months’ before the next departure. Is this all settled, then?”

 

“It would appear so.” Vader crossed his arms. “Admiral, note that you will also be joined by Chewbacca, a wookiee. Now please see about that shuttle at once, before you get back to your shift for the day. Wait for me to contact you again before doing anything else.” He turned to observe Piett as the man saluted, and Leia could feel apprehension. Coming from whom, she wasn’t so sure this time.

 

When Piett was gone, Leia let herself relax. She had not expected Vader to bring anyone else into this mess, and definitely not an imperial.

 

“What shall we do while we wait?”

 

“There is no reason for you not to remain in these quarters,” Vader said. “It will indeed be safer. But…” She sensed his uncertainty, and waited patiently for him to get over whatever was troubling him. “If I have the time, we could spar. I have yet to see that lightsaber of yours in action.”

 

Stunned, Leia’s mouth dropped open slightly. But before she could think of what to say to that, Han took a step forward, deciding as always to defend her.

 

“Hey now, wait just a second! You really think we’re that stupid? After what you did to Luke, now you want a try at Leia too?”

 

Leia smirked; Han meant well, but he really had no sense of self-preservation whatsoever. Besides, she was quite sure she could take whatever Vader threw at her.

 

“Solo, how many times do I have to tell you this is _none of your business_.” Vader snarled.

 

“Stop it!” Leia butted in. “Han, thank you, but it’s quite alright. Vader, I… appreciate the offer.”

 

This time Wedge voiced a concern; “Uh, Leia… I think I agree with Han. I don’t… I wouldn’t want to see you end up like Luke.”

 

Leia smiled at him. “I know. I was about to say,” she turned back to Vader, “that I politely decline. It’s probably not a good idea.” She was sure her father knew she was not as gullible as Luke, and definitely not as open to his ideas, but there was still that worry, that somehow he might still try. However much he appeared to care for Luke, he had still forced him to join the Dark Side, to murder people at his command.

 

After a brief moment of silence, Vader nodded once.

 

“No matter.” He said, sounding indifferent, like it made no difference to him either way. Leia wasn’t quite fooled. “I have things I need to attend to for now anyway. Remain here. I shall be back later, but do not hesitate to call on me if you need anything.”

 

He did not wait for an answer, and turned swiftly around to exit the chambers, his cape billowing behind him.

 

Han sighed and gave Leia a significant look before rushing to collapse onto a divan. Wedge disappeared back through the doorway they had come from, no doubt still keen on getting some much-needed rest, leaving Leia to contemplate this new turn of events in silence. She’d known for a while now, but she was still astounded at how much Vader cared about her opinion of him. It seemed the Sith cared for his children far more than even he’d probably admit. With the way his treatment of her had changed once he’d learned she was his daughter, there was no doubt in her mind at this point.

 

And now he, Darth Vader, with his reputation for killing his officers at a whim, was choosing to trust this Admiral Piett with the retrieval of his son.

 

Leia had never had a conversation with the Sith Lord before all this; all their previous exchanges had always been hot-tempered on both ends, and over quickly. Even when she’d been younger, serving in the senate, she’d always been braver than most when it came to opposing Vader. Nobody openly spoke out against him, but she never made it a secret how much she disagreed with him.

 

But ever since Coruscant, something had changed within him, she knew.

 

Could his desire to be reunited with Luke, as well as his sudden esteem for her, be proof of something Leia did not dare think on for too long? Something both Obi-Wan and Master Yoda had said was impossible?

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It took at least a full day for Vader to accept that Piett was not going to betray him.

 

His paranoia levels were through the roof for the first few hours after the admiral left his quarters, and he almost dreaded a holo-call from Palpatine. But his fear was unfounded, as well as disconcerting. Piett continued to do his work as normal, and did not appear to do anything else or go anywhere suspicious.

 

The other thing on his mind, which Vader couldn’t help but dwell on, was the impression that Leia or her companions might leave their room. He knew there was no reason for them to do so, and certainly they had agreed it would be safer for them to remain there – but after living with Luke, he had gotten alarmingly accustomed to his orders meaning very little to his offspring. Logically he knew that Luke and Leia were not necessarily alike, but he felt he had cause to assume Leia may not take all his advice to heart.

 

He remembered all too well a young princess he had met long ago on Coruscant, one who had never hesitated in defying him. She’d been a feisty and decidedly disobedient child back then, always taking matters into her own hands (with much woe to Bail Organa, Vader knew) and so it was only natural for him to assume she was still that way.

 

But over the next day, no alarms were raised, and to his knowledge Leia did not try to make friends with any of his subordinates, and definitely didn’t participate in any illicit sabbac games.

 

It was afternoon when he felt his daughter’s presence strongly, practically reaching out for him. He burst into the room without thinking to knock (they were _his_ quarters after all) and found Leia seated on the floor in a lotus position.

 

She was alone. Solo and Antilles were no doubt still asleep in the adjacent rooms.

 

“Vader.” She greeted him calmly, cracking an eye open after he’d been stood uncomfortably in the doorway for a minute. “Any news?”

 

Evidently she’d simply been meditating, and it was her lack of experience that caused her presence in the Force to shine out at him. Their bond was more fragile and tentative than the one he had with Luke, if only because neither of them had yet worked at strengthening it.

 

“I presumed you were the one with something to tell me,” Vader admitted. “But I can see it was not on purpose. I’ll leave you.” He barely had time to turn before his daughter let out a breath and shifted her position, sitting more comfortably with her legs stretched out in front of her.

 

“I called to you didn’t I? I didn’t mean to, but… I _was_ thinking about you.” She said. “You and Luke have been on my mind. There’s still a lot you haven’t told me.” Her look at him then was furtive enough, but Vader thought he recognised suspicion.

 

“I cannot guarantee answers, but if you have questions, ask them.”

 

She regarded him with narrowed eyes for a long moment, took her time in getting up, getting a drink of water, and finally she moved to the area with the couches, gesturing for him to sit as well. Vader hesitated only for a second, and begrudgingly joined her.

 

“I’ve been meaning to ask, though I think I know the answer already… You haven’t told Luke about me have you?”

 

Vader hesitated once more, wondering if there was any point in lying. He could say there had not been time, but she would know that was just an excuse.

 

“I feared what might happen if I told him.” He said instead, carefully. It was partly true. “After his accident, he was very detached, and it never felt like the right time. When he learned I was leaving without him, he was so closed off I could barely feel him anymore. He resented me. I knew it was too late. He wouldn’t listen to me anymore.”

 

“Couldn’t you have _tried?_ ”

 

“You do not understand.”

 

Leia made an impatient sound. “Clearly. So then, what will happen when we find him? He’ll be surprised, that’s for sure. But will he attack us?”

 

“Seeing the future has never been my strength,” Vader said through gritted teeth. “And Luke is much too unpredictable. Nothing has gone the way I thought it would, ever since I met him.” He looked away, reflecting on just how much of an understatement that was. For two decades his life had been largely predictable and controlled. But Luke – he realised this only now that he was away from him – had turned all that around. “But it doesn’t matter. Your mission is only to bring him here.”

 

“ _What?_ ” Leia’s exclamation was half a laugh, but her voice lacked humour. “Are we talking about the same Luke? If he doesn’t want to go with us, there isn’t anything in the galaxy that will make him.”

 

“We must try.”

 

“ _We_ would have a better shot if you were there. Stars know why, but he seems to listen to you.”

 

“Palpatine wants me on this station. I cannot disobey my master.” Vader’s tone of voice came out rather grated.

 

“Hm. You disobeyed him long enough to come find me.” Leia pointed out. “I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do either, but… at least consider it.” She looked away with a huff. When Vader didn’t say anything in response, she seemed to decide maybe changing the subject would be best for now.

 

Instead she asked, “Why did you have to kill Mon?”

 

“The Emperor wanted her delivered to Coruscant. But she was aware of Luke’s identity. A risk I could not take.”

 

“She deserved more.”

 

Annoyed, Vader interrupted her. “Do not pretend like your rebellion has never killed any of my officers. It is war.”

 

“Alright, perhaps now isn’t the time to be accusing each other. I guess we’re on the same side until we manage to get to Luke… But then what?”

 

Vader shared her uncertainty. Luke hadn’t shown any sign of wanting to go back to the rebellion. He’d certainly had occasions to do so, as Vader gave him more and more freedom, but instead he had sent the _Falcon_ back to them with a droid, and had never ventured out of Imperial City while on Coruscant. However, he was also currently caught in a terrible snare. Palpatine exerted tremendous power over his underlings, as Vader knew from experience, and that power could be extremely difficult to resist.

 

“I do not know.” He finally decided on saying. “Luke is unpredictable. But he is my son. I have to trust that will be worth more to him than whatever Palpatine says.”

 

He had to look away when he saw Leia staring at him with her eyebrows raised. She reminded him far too much of her mother at moments like these. “Well…” She said slowly. “Seeing as how he turned his back on all of us to ‘save’ you, I don’t have much choice but to trust that, too. That’s another thing I’ve been meaning to ask; is that really all it took for him to join you? That you’re his father?”

 

“He knew that from the start. Even if he did not really accept it. But I don’t think he realised it until we met again on Bespin, when he foolishly thought he could see who I was before. He was also curious about my past life, and his mother. I suppose he thought speaking of such things would save me.”

 

“Our mother?” Leia asked, almost timidly.

 

Vader stood and looked away, hoping his annoying flaring out through the Force would be enough to dissuade her from asking questions. “If that is all –”

 

“Wait, I…” Leia stood too and reached out with a hand, though she didn’t touch him. Her jaw was set and there was a determined look in her eyes, like she had just come to some conclusion. “Earlier, I was also meditating on the fact that Luke and I might have to fight. I don’t wish to fight him, but, if it does come to that… He’s had more training than me.”

 

Surprised, Vader turned back to face her. “Am I to take that as a request for a lesson?”

 

“Don’t make things difficult,” Leia said, walking past him and unhooking her lightsaber from her belt. “Are you still interested in sparring or not?”

 

Slightly amused now, Vader considered her for a few moments before facing her in the centre of the room.

 

“And what of your companions’ concerns?” He asked, as he watched her drop into a combat stance. Her brilliantly green blade hissed out of its hilt. Vader produced his own weapon, and the red strobe of light came to meet his daughter’s.

 

“Well they’re not here now.” Leia reasoned. “I’ll explain it to them later. No harm done.”

 

Vader paced to the side, inspecting her movements. To his surprise – and satisfaction – there was no need to correct her stance. She was very well guarded.

 

Now to see how well she fared in combat.

 

She landed the first strike, and he met her easily. Yoda’s influence on her movements was noticeable, and he simply countered her lazily, only landing a blow of his own every few moments to test her reflexes.

 

Leia danced around him smoothly. She was confident and aware of her surroundings, and in an other life, Vader might have been able to say he was proud she was his daughter.

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.

.

.

Going about the _Death Star II_ unnoticed was surprisingly easy, Han reflected.

 

After Leia had spent over an hour sitting in the same spot meditating, Han decided he was bored enough, and had donned the stormtrooper armour, dragging Wedge along with him for a walk. The pilot was a bit reluctant at first, bringing up the possibility of Vader returning and finding their quarters empty.

 

Han, neither concerned about the Sith Lord’s opinion, nor entirely convinced that he would even care in the first place, pulled on his stormtrooper bucket and pressed on down the corridor. They didn’t meet that many people, but nobody stopped them for any reason, not even when they passed near the bridge. Han thanked the 501st rank ensigns on their armour for that.

 

The station was a _monster_ , and Han knew it would likely take days to cover it all by foot. He and Wedge were careful not to speak too much, but eventually Wedge voiced his concern that perhaps they were getting lost.

 

He was about to reassure Wedge that at least they knew which level Vader’s quarters were on, so they only really had to find a lift to take them back up, when he was distracted by loud voices coming from down the corridor to their left. Most of them sounded human, but then one voice stood out: the shout of a wookiee. Wedge turned to him and they shared a look through the helmets before rushing towards the noise.

 

The corridor led to one of the smaller, more unfinished hangars, where many labourers were hard at work. However the sight that greeted them was that of a group of troopers gathered around a kneeling Chewbacca, while one of them shocked him repeatedly with an electrostaff.

 

“Hey! What are you doing?” Han shouted, before taking a moment to think. He distantly felt Wedge try to pull him back by the arm, but he angrily jerked away.

 

All the guards turned to him silently, and the one with the staff paused.

 

“None of your business, trooper.” An officer said with his eyes narrowed.

 

Han jabbed his thumb at the insignia on his chest. “I don’t answer to you, pal. Lord Vader is my supervisor.”

 

The officer didn’t appear too impressed. “So you arrived with the new squadron? You are forgiven for your ignorance. This is how things work around here. We were teaching this wookiee a lesson, you see.”

 

“We caught it poking around in a restricted area,” one of the troopers piped up. “But it won’t answer any of our questions.”

 

“Can any of you even understand Shyriiwook?” Han countered, crossing his arms.

 

“What?” Another trooper asked, blankly.

 

Wedge stepped up beside him. “He’s a _wookiee_!” Wedge said pointedly. “He can’t speak basic!”

 

Chewie growled an affirmation, and attempted to get up until the trooper with the staff hit him in the shins.

 

“Stop that!” Han shouted, stepping closer. “We were looking for this one, anyway,” he added, hastily. “Vader’s orders.”

 

If anything, the supervising officer looked even more suspicious. “And did _Lord_ Vader say what he wanted with the creature?”

 

“Who knows?” Han said, helping Chewie up now that the troopers had stepped back. “I didn’t question it. But maybe you’d like to call him and ask him yourself, _sir_?”

 

The man still looked rather unconvinced, but just the idea of speaking to Vader shut him up quickly. “Very well.” He turned to his men. “Move along, all of you.”

 

Han wasn’t listening. His knees buckled under Chewie’s weight and he quickly looked him over. Wookiee fur was thick, and there didn’t seem to be many burns, but even Chewie had a limit. Behind them he could hear Wedge still talking to the officer. Perhaps to distract him from the way Han was clearly tending to Chewie.

 

“I’m sure Lord Vader must have sent some message down, sir.” Wedge said. “If not, he surely will soon. Or not. I mean, you know how he is. Sir.”

 

“Mm, quite.” The officer said, still unimpressed. He let them go without any further fuss though, and Han waited until they were alone inside a lift before speaking again.

 

He quickly removed his helmet and dried the sweat from his face. “You alright, pal?” He looked up at Chewie, who was backed up against a wall, still favouring one leg, but otherwise unharmed. The wookiee nodded grimly.

 

Wedge leaned against the wall as well, breathing heavily. “I can’t believe that worked, you know. Why would Vader want to see one of the wookiee workers personally? No offense.” He glanced at Chewie, who shrugged.

 

“I panicked, alright? They had no right to torture him like that. I should have given them a real piece of my mind. With the business end of a blaster, actually.” His temper had cooled, but the thought of those troopers zapping his best friend like that was enough to rile him up again.

 

Chewie woofed that he appreciated the sentiment, but there was nothing more that could be done.

 

Wedge pulled off his bucket too and sighed. He aimed a look at Chewie, raising an eyebrow. “Hey, what was that about you being in a restricted area anyway?”

 

Chewie roared, shaking his head from side to side.

 

“You didn’t know it was restricted?” Han asked, translating for Wedge. “I know you said you’d keep an eye out, but I figured you’d be more careful.” He looked up at the floor numbers and saw they were fast approaching Vader’s level. He donned the helmet once more. “Well, pal, I _am_ the more level-headed one. Guess it just goes to prove that without me there to keep you outta trouble –”

 

He was interrupted by Wedge bursting into laughter. Chewie joined in, to Han’s annoyance.

 

“Yeah, yeah, keep it down will ya – we’re here.” They stepped out into the deserted corridor outside Vader’s quarters. “I’m glad we found you anyhow,” Han added. “We’ll be leaving soon, and we’re hiding out in His Lordship’s chambers in the meantime, so there’s no reason for you to be out there anymore.”

 

Wedge tried the door, but it was locked. The control panel buzzed at them angrily when he touched it. “Well that’s just great.”

 

Han heaved a sigh. “Guess we’ll have to try the bell and hope Vader’s around. I don’t think Leia would risk answering the door otherwise –”

 

He was interrupted once again, this time by the door opening. Vader stared coldly at them for a moment, then stepped aside to let them enter. Han ignored his comment of, “You did not inform me you would be going out” and tossed his helmet away, staring at the other occupant of the room.

 

Leia was standing to the side, looking suspiciously like she’d just been in a fight. Her hair was all frizzy and her face was reddened, and her lightsaber was in her hand, though it wasn’t lit at the moment. She opened her mouth to speak, but Han already rounded on Vader.

 

“What in the galaxy is _this_?” He asked, waving his arms around.

 

Vader crossed his arms and stared him down. “I thought I asked you to remain here.” He growled deeply, completely ignoring Han as usual.

 

“Huh, I must have missed the part where you’re the boss of me,” Han rolled his eyes, turning to Leia instead. “I thought you agreed sparring with him was a bad idea.”

 

“I know, Han.” She said, still slightly out of breath. “I wasn’t going to hide it from you. We didn’t do anything but duel.”

 

“Who won?” Wedge asked, smirking.

 

“There was no winner,” Vader said testily. “It was merely practice. Now, what is Chewbacca doing here?” He actually turned to face the wookiee, and Chewie slowly related the story to him.

 

Han watched warily as the Sith conversed with him. The sight made him uncomfortable for many reasons. Somehow, Han had a harder time hating Vader unconditionally when the man was being cordial to his best friend. All the imperials they had ever dealt with treated Chewie with cruelty, like he was worth less than dirt under their shoe. And now here was the Supreme Commander himself, chatting with him like equals. It was downright baffling.

 

All thought of toning down his attitude towards Vader went down the drain though, when the Sith rounded on him again. “I told you to stay here! You must not do anything that could raise suspicions. If the Emperor even suspects I am doing anything…”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure the Emperor’s going to be very concerned about one wookiee not doing his job,” Han scoffed. “Look, we were getting bored, and we’re leaving soon anyway so there was no point in leaving Chewie down there all alone anymore. Oh and, speaking of which, why didn’t you think to mention that _your employees_ are down there torturing beings for any slight disobedience?”

 

“I see, so you risked jeopardising our mission because you were _bored_. Why had I not considered; the great Captain Solo can’t handle staying put for more than a few hours without putting us all at risk on a whim. ” Vader snarled. “Furthermore, I am not, nor have I ever been, in command of this station. What happened to Chewbacca is regrettable, but those were not my orders!”

 

Han rolled his eyes. “Oh it’s ‘regrettable’ is it? Fantastic. You’re the one who put him out there, you know!”

 

Leia stepped between them. “Enough! Stars, we don’t have time for this. Han, I’m sorry but I didn’t exactly plan to duel Vader, it just sort of happened. And you were gone by then anyway.” She glanced at Vader. “If they’d told you they were going to have a look around, you wouldn’t have let them. And by the sounds of it, Chewie is better off here with us anyway.”

 

“Fine,” Vader huffed, turning away. “I have better things to do. Call a droid for food if you are hungry, and this time _remain here_.” He paused to point a finger in Han’s face, but before he or anyone else could respond, Vader was out the door.

 

Wedge gave a low whistle. “Well, you got him all annoyed again, but at least you got one up on him. He might be warming up to you, Han!”

 

“Yeah right.” Shaking his head, Han looked patted Chewie shoulder. The wookiee kept insisting he was fine, but Han still felt responsible. He glanced back at Leia. “Why didn’t you let me at him?”

 

“It’s better we don’t anger him, Han. I think sparring got him in a good mood.” She smirked at his expression then. “Or a better mood than usual at least. But we’re on his good side. I only hope I can get through to him before it’s too late.”

 

Not sure what Leia meant by that and too tired to care for now, Han grimaced and flopped down on a couch, thinking that was enough excitement for the day.

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Luke was asked to wait before he was allowed into the throne room that evening. It seemed the Emperor was already meeting with someone. He hadn’t been given a time at which to show up, so Luke supposed it wasn’t too surprising that Palpatine was already busy. Sitting down in a nearby chair, he massaged his sore shoulder and tried to ignore the royal guards, who were being rather obvious about staring. They had no reason to be subtle, either. Luke was quite aware he was still under surveillance.

 

He’d taken only a brief detour before coming to the palace, to see Harv about getting some more of those painkillers. The medic had happily provided, and didn’t waste his time with idle chatter once he found out Luke was on his way to meet Palpatine. It had taken much less convincing than with Nat for him to realise Luke had changed.

 

When the great doors of the throne room finally opened, out came a group of older men – politicians, most likely. Whoever they were, they stared openly at Luke, and scrambled aside when he made for the entrance to Palpatine’s throne room. He didn’t acknowledge them apart from a brief look, and didn’t much care for the fact that they were startled, or even afraid. It was pathetic more than anything else.

 

Lights coming from the waiting area dissipated as the doors were again closed, and at once Luke felt clearheaded. He knew Palpatine was near, and he was such a potent source of dark power that stepping into his shadows was like finally breathing air after a minute underwater. The sheer _feeling_ of the Dark Side greeting him numbed any drowsiness from the painkillers and Luke, for once, opened himself to it fully.

 

He arrived at the dais and found the Emperor of the Galaxy waiting for him on his throne, with a self-satisfied smile and his eyes glowing like embers. He bowed as he had been taught, and waited.

 

“Young Lord Skygge, I am pleased to see you are looking better. You may rise.”

 

The title still startled Luke, and if he was honest he had been expecting Palpatine to continue calling him ‘Luke’. But he wasted no time in standing, though he had to lean more to one side to accommodate his arm. He faced the Emperor with a cool expression, hoping that any twinges of pain were absent from his face.

 

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

 

“You may call me ‘Master’.” The Emperor said smoothly.

 

“Master.” Luke repeated, with a slight nod. He could count on one hand the number of times he had called his own father that.

 

Palpatine stood without further ado, and gestured for Luke to follow. He led him through the same side-door as always, but this time the room they came out in was far different. There were no long dinner tables or beautiful paintings of Naboo; rather, the room was bare and carpeted in dull grey. Dimly-lit and with no furniture at all, it was more reminiscent of the training rooms at Vader’s residence than any room Luke had seen in the palace so far.

 

Luke looked around, waiting for further instruction. Somehow he doubted this feeble-looking old man was about to propose lightsaber training. Then again, Luke knew the cane the Emperor was usually seen with was only for show, and he’d been warned many times by his father, not to mention by Ben and Yoda too, that he was immensely powerful. It was hard to imagine Palpatine wielding a lightsaber, but then, perhaps that was the point.

 

The Emperor shut the blinds over the only viewport in the room – not that it was necessary as night had already fallen – and faced Luke.

 

“I am aware Lord Vader has instructed you in the more physical aspects of the Force.” Palpatine commented, no doubt referring to the duel he had witnessed between Luke and Vader. “A crucial part of your training, of course, but lacking in subtlety or finesse. Once you learn to construct your own lightsaber, and your injuries have healed, we will continue to build upon his teachings. But for now, I think you’ll find my methods are bit more… delicate. For the time being our focus will be theoretical.”

 

He must have seen something in Luke’s expression then, or maybe sensed it in the Force, because he chuckled; “No worries, my young apprentice, you will continue to duel regularly with Lady Jade in the meantime. Unless you do not find her to your liking, that is. Did you enjoy your training session with her?”

 

“Oh,” Luke said, a bit startled. “No, I… I’m sure she’s told you all about it. Master.”

 

“Of course,” Palpatine said, vaguely. “But I should like your opinion of it regardless.”

 

Luke hesitated, wondering for a moment what he should say, wondering if he was expected to say anything in particular. He finally gave it up and decided to play it as safe as possible. “She’s obviously skilled. Not like Lord Vader, but I can tell she’s talented with her blade. The duel wasn’t very… challenging… But she might have been going easy one me.”

 

Palpatine actually laughed at that, and Luke almost jumped.

 

“Oh she certainly is skilled. But I could train her for a hundred years, and she would never come close to your level of attunement with the Force. Furthermore, I do not believe I have ever witnessed Lady Jade going easy on anybody. She is a decidedly difficult person, in every aspect of her life. Her reckless enmity with Lord Vader is proof of that.”

 

Luke wondered what Jade would think to hear her master speak of her like this. It was likely she knew already what Palpatine’s opinion was of her, but still, to Luke’s ears it sounded rather derogatory.

 

“But enough of that.” Palpatine smiled. “I asked you here for a lesson, did I not? Be seated, and we will begin.”

 

Blinking, Luke did as he was told, dropping to sit on the floor with his legs crossed. Palpatine appeared to wait for him to be comfortable, then he instructed Luke to close his eyes and, from the sound of it, slowly starting pacing between him and the viewport.

 

“Clear your mind of all thought,” he said, “and concentrate only on the Force. Let it guide your feelings.”

 

Luke did so, vaguely realising that the last time he had successfully meditated was in the presence of his father, while they were both in his hyperbaric chamber. He was careful not to dwell on this though too long, and struggled in particular not to visualise the scene.

 

Presumably the Emperor still caught whiff of his thoughts, however. “Lord Vader has always had trouble with meditation, even before he was a Sith. Let us see how well you do.”

 

As the remnants of lucid thought and memories filtered through Luke’s mind, darkness spread, circulated by the Force through his limbs, from the potent presence of the Emperor, from the very air, and from within Luke himself. He tried not to resist it, but occasionally he still got glimpses of his own memories: the heat of a sandy afternoon on Tattooine, or the cold of space in a one-man snub, or the sound of Leia’s laughter…

 

Normally, this would have been when Vader snapped at him to concentrate, or he would have rudely invaded his mind and questioned him about what he saw. But Palpatine was absolutely silent, leaving Luke to wonder, and worry, whether or not the old Sith could see any of what he was seeing. Perhaps it had been particular to the bond in the Force that he and his father shared.

 

That thought brought him pain, so he shied away from it and instead tried to focus on clearing his mind…

 

“I sense you are troubled.” Palpatine said suddenly, and Luke’s thoughts, to cover, struggled for something else to latch onto. For some reason his mind went to Nat, and their recent falling out. The pain he felt was similar, but not as strong.

 

Palpatine hummed. “Friendships are a dangerous thing, my very young apprentice. They will only bring your pain in the end. You will learn to forgo them in time.”

 

He then fell silent again, leaving Luke to his meditation. Already this was so different from his father’s teachings. Vader had expected Luke to already be free of all attachment, whereas Palpatine seemed to understand it was not an easy thing to do. Luke shook his head, deciding to worry about all that later. He smoothed his features, letting the Force take hold again.

 

This time he saw images not of his own memories, nor of anyone’s memories, but of things that were obviously in the future. He couldn’t see clearly; it was nothing like the future vision he had experienced on Dagobah. But bits and ends of visions came to him sporadically. The recognisable image of himself, now with yellowed Sith eyes came to mind, though now it was complete with his new facial scars too. He could see himself wielding a red blade with a dark polished hilt. He was at the command of his own Star Destroyer! Then he saw himself fighting someone else – another Sith – and a familiar breathing sound filled his ears: _‘Son…’_

 

His eyes snapped open and he took a deep breath, just as Palpatine spoke. “What is it? What did you see?”

 

Luke breathed heavily for a moment, focusing on hiding away everything he did not want the Emperor to see, just in case the old man was attempting to infiltrate his thoughts in his moment of weakness.

 

“I saw… myself and Lord Vader. We were duelling again, but more seriously this time.”

 

“Ah.” Palpatine seemed almost disappointed. What had he been hoping for Luke to see? “Yes, you must be eager for a rematch, I take it? All in due time. I am glad to see your loyalty to him does not appear as strong as he had no doubt hoped. It was misguided of him to take advantage of your naivety like that.”

 

“My naivety, Master?” Luke wondered aloud. Palpatine was watching him carefully.

 

“I suppose it is only natural that you felt faithful to him, when he rescued you from slavery. I should have realised you would not understand that _I_ am his master, and therefore yours as well.”

 

“I understand now.” Luke said. “He means nothing to me, Master.” He struggled to be genuine, not letting any of his thoughts betray him. But Palpatine merely hummed again, and it was difficult to tell what he thought of the display.

 

“We shall see.” He finally said, giving Luke a long once-over. “I can see you are tired. Perhaps you still need more rest? If there is nothing else.”

 

It sounded to Luke like an invitation to ask any questions he may have, and of those he had plenty. He only hesitated for a moment, before the courage to ask came to him.

 

“Master, if I may? I wondered about my Sith title. I thought there were only supposed to be two Sith at once.”

 

Palpatine smiled, and gave a throaty chuckle. “So, Lord Vader _has_ told you the ways and traditions of our Order? His teachings were not entirely restricted to brute force, then. I would be surprised if he had not at least broached the subject with you, I’ll admit. He has grown more audacious as time goes by…” He met Luke’s gaze, and his smiled turned slightly sinister. “Oh, he is still very much my servant, make no mistake. He is too weak to oppose me, and not foolish enough to try.”

 

Luke nodded, and both of them were silent for a moment while he thought this over. Palpatine obviously was still very confident that he had the upper hand.

 

“I understand.” Luke said softly. “But that didn’t answer my question.”

 

“Indeed.” Palpatine’s tone was sharper now, more focused and less airy. “You are correct, my young apprentice. Always two Sith Lords may exist at once, no more, no less. A master and an apprentice. That certainly is the mantra. However, it has not at all times been true. You see, I myself have lived a singular existence at many points during my life. For example, before Lord Vader came to be my student, I was the only Sith in the galaxy.” He sighed, and his wrinkled face crinkled in thought. “And you my boy, are not yet a true Sith. When the time is right, you will take Lord Vader’s place. But there is still much I need to teach you before that day comes. Lord Vader simply needed to be reminded of that fact. When you are ready, I shall call him from his post, and you shall fulfil your destiny.”

 

_His destiny._ A pair of words that Luke had heard thrown around far too much in recent memory. His father believed his destiny was to overpower the Emperor and rule the galaxy instead, with his father by his side… Obi-Wan and Yoda seemed to believe his destiny was to rid the galaxy of both Sith Lords. And now here was Palpatine, claiming he was destined not only to kill his own father, but then take his place in the Sith Order.

 

All three outcomes were distinct possibilities, though one seemed more likely than the others. His decisions were what would affect his destiny in the end, Luke knew. But to Palpatine he only let a tremor of anticipation slip through his shields.

 

Inside his heart, a battle was raging. He still felt betrayed by his father – perhaps irrationally so. They had not parted on good terms, and Luke couldn’t be sure what he’d say to Vader if he could speak to him now. He couldn’t be sure it wouldn’t end in a lightsaber duel either. But still, he felt that longing.

 

“I had one more thing to ask, Master.” Luke said, more softly. The Emperor was silent, so he took it as permission to speak. “I thought you did not want me trained. Why didn’t you just kill me when you found out Lord Vader’s plans for me?”

 

“Oh the thought definitely did cross my mind.” Palpatine said, a slight smile on his face. “And I still would, do not forget. Your potential however, is very much worth the risk of keeping you alive.”

 

Luke found he could not look up at the Sith Master then, and kept his eyes to the ground as he nodded. The Force surged within him, the darkness feeding him images of his own death, at the Emperor’s hand mostly, but also at his father’s. Underneath it all he felt vaguely sick, and he barely registered the wetness in his eyes as he looked at his own hands unblinking.

 

“I think that is enough for tonight.” He heard Palpatine’s voice, as though from far away, and nodded wearily once more.

 

His first lesson with the Sith Master hadn’t quite been what he was expecting, but then nothing ever really was, when it came to the Force.

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	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh everyone, I am so incredibly pleased to present this chapter at last. I apologise once again for the delay - 2016 has been the worst year of my life and I wasn't in any state to write. But I really wanted to finish and upload at least this chapter before the year ended, and I succeeded! And I'm so very touched at the sheer number of people who have messaged me this year, encouraging me to keep writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Admiral Firmus Piett occupied himself with his duties on board the _Death Star II_ with as much dedication as he normally would, on his last day of work for the Galactic Empire. Preparations for his departure were complete. In just a few short hours he would board a shuttle with wanted rebels, and forever brand himself a traitor to the Empire. The thought rattled him less than he would have expected, and instead his mind dwelled on the recent revelation that Luke was Lord Vader’s son.

 

When he’d met the young man he had gotten the impression there was something strange about him, but like anyone else he’d attributed that to the boy being his Lord’s apprentice. An unsettling thought, especially now that he knew the truth of their relationship. He couldn’t help but think about the obvious lack of love between them. Then again, perhaps it had all been an act. _Love_ wasn’t a word he would generally use in the same sentence as _Lord Vader_.

 

Piett shook his head. Among all his fears since being promoted, having to assist his Commander with personal familial issues was very far down on the list. When Lord Vader had asked for his help with something top-secret, he hadn’t known what to expect – but this situation was more like an increasingly bad daytime holo-drama. Secret children nobody knew about? _Twins_ , no less?

 

Nothing was more shocking than the fact that Princess Leia was Lord Vader’s daughter, however. If nothing else, Piett understood how that could have been kept secret. Piett had no children himself, but he tried for a moment to imagine how it must feel.

 

It was a pointless exercise. He did not want children anyway, and he couldn’t even begin to wonder what went on in the Sith Lord’s mind. Nor did he want to.

 

When Lord Vader finally called for him to report to a hangar, Piett squared his shoulders and briefly surveyed his crew one last time. It was likely none of them would miss him, and any number of his subordinates might even be glad to take his place. He turned and hurriedly made his way through the station. His belongings were already packed, and he took a brief detour to collect them. Some people along the way remembered to wish him a nice time off, but he could only mumble incoherent noises in response.

 

The hangar where the old shuttle stood was quite smaller than the one they had landed in several days ago now. Lord Vader stood to the side with his hands on his hips, watching as the rebels, all dressed as stormtroopers apart from the wookiee, finished prepping the ship.

 

“Keep your helmet on, Solo.” He barked, as the corellian captain rolled out from underneath the shuttle with a toolkit under his arm, indeed unmasked. Solo grumbled something that sounded very rude underneath his breath, but did as he was told. Lord Vader either did not hear him, or did not care, because he instead turned to face Piett.

 

“My Lord.” Piett gave a curt nod.

 

It was a slightly awkward moment then, as Lord Vader said nothing in return, and Piett wondered if he was expected to say anything else.

 

“You should be off,” Lord Vader sighed, then, and looked to the side. “If everything is ready.”

 

Solo’s voice rang out from an open compartment. “In a second, your Tyrannicalness!”

 

Piett stared, and almost expected Lord Vader to choke the captain right then and there, but the Sith merely stood still, albeit looking a little tense at the shoulders. There was a creak of leather from his fists clenching, but nothing else. Absurdly, Piett thought the Sith looked longsuffering.

 

“I am ready, My Lord.” Piett said, not knowing what else to do.

 

“Thank you for accompanying us, Admiral.” The stormtrooper with Princess Leia’s voice said.

 

“I am no longer an Admiral,” Piett replied. “Though officially, I suppose I am until my actions are discovered…”

 

“You shall not be discovered.” Vader said then, and it sounded very much like an order. “For the good of the Galaxy, and for your own sake, none of this shall reach the Emperor until the very last minute.”

 

Piett nodded his understanding, and Captain Solo saved him from any further awkwardness with his Commander by appearing at his side, wiping oil off his hands. “Alright, she’s as ready to blast off as she’ll ever be.”

 

Piett grasped his luggage, and started towards the shuttle.

 

Behind him, Princess Leia spoke.

 

“Can’t I convince you to come?” Her voice was low, and softer than he’d ever heard it. Piett realised she must be speaking to Lord Vader and, against his better judgement, he turned to watch.

 

“No.” Lord Vader replied, his voice lacking any emotion.

 

“I never thought I’d say this before, but he needs you.”

 

“I’ve heard enough!” Vader snapped, this time sounding annoyed and tired. His head turned and he looked directly at Piett. “Carry on, Piett.”

 

Having Lord Vader’s anger directed at him was never a pleasant experience, so Piett nodded and rushed away as quickly as he could. He heard the Princess snarl something back; “You’re so _stubborn_.”

 

He busied himself with storing his bags on board, trying not the think on what he’d just witnessed. He wondered again what in the Galaxy he’d gotten himself into.

 

Once he was done he made his way to the cockpit, where he found an unmasked Solo and Leia, both already seated. “He’s being so stupid.” The Princess was saying as he entered.

 

Solo’s hand was around her shoulder. “You won’t change him Leia.”

 

“I don’t _want to_! I just –" She turned to look at Piett, and whatever she was going to say was forgotten. “Admiral.” She nodded, her voice still rather cold. “Or is it Piett? Shall we call you Piett?”

 

“Please do.” He hesitated in the doorway, looking between them.

 

Solo heaved a sigh, and then yelled; “Chewie! You both on board?”

 

The wookiee barked back a response, and the other, Antilles, stuck his head through next to Piett. “Yep, we’re ready, Han.”

 

The Captain donned his stormtrooper’s helmet once more. “Alright here we go, then. Better keep our helmets on ‘till we’re in hyperspace.” Piett left them to it, and went to sit in the lounge area with Antilles and the wookiee. They shared an awkward look and then Piett looked down at his hands, hoping this trip would be brief and uneventful.

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The plan was simple enough: after landing in Imperial City, Piett would assign them posts in the palace, and they would wait for the right moment to confront Luke. In theory, he would want to come with them, and would agree to follow them back to the alliance, or wherever else.

 

But Leia was not so hopeful. Suffice to say, she had a bad feeling about this.

 

Maybe she would feel better if Vader had come along. Luke obviously cared more about what Vader thought than anything she or Han had to say. But they had to try. Even if it ended in a duel, a thought that caused her heart to sink. She did not want to injure or kill her brother, but if it came down to it being him or her…

 

Han’s voice brought her out of her dark thoughts, announcing they were leaving hyperspace.

 

“We’re almost here! Better put our buckets back on.”

 

Leia did so, feeling no less anxious as Coruscant came into view, flanked by two star destroyers on each side. They were hailed immediately, and Leia scrambled out of her seat to let Piett handle the situation. He transmitted his authorisation code, and they were cleared within minutes. The planet loomed closer and, once they could make out individual buildings, Leia followed Piett back into the main part of the ship, waiting to disembark.

 

They arrived at Piett’s residence just as the sun was setting, and helped unload his luggage. Once he was set, Leia had a look around. The neighbourhood was very upper class. In the distance the Imperial palace was just visible, overlooking the entire city.

 

“I will contact my man in the ISB and request your transfer to Imperial Palace Security effective immediately.” Piett said, returning from what looked like his garage. Han followed behind him, removing his helmet as he walked.

 

“Thank you,” Leia nodded. “Better sooner than later. We’ll be out of your hair.”

 

“Please don’t hesitate to contact me if anything seems wrong.” Piett said. “I shall give you my private comm number, and if any of you are in any trouble, I stand ready to help.”

 

“Do you know Luke well?” Han asked him. “What do you care if we save him or not?”

 

“I’ve… met him.” Piett said. “And my loyalty is with Lord Vader. If helping his son is his command, then that is what I shall do.” The admiral shrugged. “It’s really that simple. Now, give me a moment to warn my contact you are coming, and you should be off.”

 

Leia slipped her hand into Han’s while they waited, and his tense features relaxed ever so slightly. Once it was time to leave they thanked the admiral again, popped their stormtrooper helmets on and started walking. It was a relatively short distance to the Palace, and before they knew it they were facing the stairs leading to the entrance.

 

Han turned to Chewbacca. “Well Chewie, keep an eye out will ya. Stay close to the Palace but don’t put yourself in any danger. I’ll let you know what’s happening.”

 

The wookiee huffed a reply, and enveloped Han in a big brotherly hug.

 

“Alright, alright, better get out of here quickly…” Han watched his friend go, and thought Leia couldn’t see his face, she felt his worry.

 

“He can take care of himself,” she reassured him, eyeing the wookiee’s weapon, strapped to his back. Chewie turned to give them one last look, then rounded a corner and was gone.

 

“I know, I know.” Han said. “C’mon let’s get to work.”

.

.

.

.

Luke’s wounds were healing nicely. He felt much better today, and the pain no longer interfered with his attempts at meditating.

 

He was sitting on his bed, not quite ready to sleep yet though he was dressed for it. Despite the late hour he felt jittery, on edge as though he was expecting some danger. But today had been a normal day – a training session with Jade, and that evening another meeting with the Emperor. Palpatine was slowly teaching him the more subtle aspects of the Force, almost mirroring Yoda’s teachings, though not quite. He seemed pleased with Luke’s progress so far.

 

Palpatine always seemed pleased with him, and Luke didn’t like it. It didn’t feel genuine coming from the old Sith, leading him to speculate on his true intentions.

 

He relaxed his face, realising he’d been frowning, and concentrated. Something didn’t feel right tonight. Something dancing just outside of his awareness, something…

 

Luke’s head snapped up. It was as if a candle had been lit in the dark room that was his mind. He felt a pull towards it, an urge to warm himself in its light. It took several seconds for him to remember, but the realisation hit him suddenly; it was the same presence he had felt before, of another Force-sensitive. Someone in the alliance who had the potential to become a Jedi. His father had said not to worry about it too much, that there were many untrained Force-sensitives all over the galaxy, and that whoever it was was likely unaware of their power.

 

But they were obviously on Coruscant right now. Had members of the alliance somehow infiltrated the city without anyone noticing, or was this person acting alone? And in any case, were they here for Luke?

 

He was debating what to do with this information when he felt another presence, this one dark and cold, slip into his mind.

 

Palpatine.

 

It seemed the old Sith had felt it as well, and Luke was spared the need to inform his new Master of the problem. With a sigh, Luke rose from his bed and donned his dark robes and armour. He had no doubt Palpatine wished to see him, and it was better not to keep him waiting. This was urgent.

 

He rushed to the Palace, and the red guards stationed at the entrance to the throne room let him pass. It was dark in the room as always, and as Luke’s vision adjusted, he was surprised to see someone else was already meeting with his Master.

 

Jade turned her head to the side to look at him, and greeted him with a nod. Luke stopped next to her and bowed low, his eyes on the Emperor.

 

“Ah, young Lord Skygge, I am saved the need to call for you. Very good. I trust you understand the situation.”

 

Luke rose, clearing his throat. “There’s a Force-sensitive in the city.”

 

“What are your orders?” Jade asked.

 

The Emperor touched his hands together, and cruel smile graced his face. “Hunt them down. I want them alive if possible. I sense they have been trained, so they could be of some value. If they have a master, they might give us their location. And if they can be turned, all the better.”

 

“Understood.” Jade said, just as Luke nodded.

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

“Then go, both of you.”

 

They bowed in unison, and hurried out of the room. Once they were in the main hall, Jade stopped Luke. “Here, I brought this.”

 

It was the lightsaber Luke used during their sparring matches. He wasn’t allowed to keep it on him between their sessions, so she held onto it herself. He took it from her gladly and clipped it to his belt.

 

“I don’t know how much use it’ll get tonight, but I’d rather not get into a fight with an ally who’s unarmed.”

 

“Right, thanks.” Luke said, looking around them. The presence was still strong, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint it at the moment. “Can you tell where the presence is coming from?” He asked Jade, though he doubted she would have much luck either.

 

She shook her head. “I can’t feel it at all right now.”

 

“Huh. I can. Just… give me a moment.” He closed his eyes, though not before seeing her jaw set, and a suspicious look in her eyes. Focusing was a little hard with Jade’s presence so brilliant and so near, but he concentrated on his surroundings, first on the entire Palace, then he broadened the search to the whole Imperial City, but…

 

“They’re in the Palace itself!” Luke said, his eyes opening wide.

 

“You’re sure?”

 

“I think! They’re not far anyway.”

 

She fixed him with a hard stare. “Then lead the way.”

They started making their way through the many corridors of the Palace, Luke searching for the exact location of the Force user. After several minutes of silence he looked sideways at Jade, wondering.

 

“Have you done this before? Hunting for other Force-sensitives?”

 

“Are you trying to small talk with me, Skygge?” She sounded almost… offended.

 

“No, I mean, I’m actually curious. You don’t have to answer or anything.”

 

She sighed. “Yes. When Vader is otherwise occupied, the task sometimes falls to the Inquisitors, or to me. You know he’s spent most of his life hunting down and killing any remaining Jedi, don’t you?”

 

Luke didn’t exactly, but he nodded.

 

They fell back into silence after that, Luke not knowing what else to say. It was hard to tell what Jade was thinking sometimes. She was occasionally pleasant with him, other times vicious. He didn’t quite know which was her genuine self.

 

“The presence is clearer here.” Luke said. “I’m sure they’re on this floor.”

 

They stopped in the corridor where it split into two directions.

 

“Let’s split up then.” Jade told him. “Cover more ground. Reach out for me if you find them, and I’ll do the same.”

 

Luke set off to the left, anticipation rushing through his body. He was poised for battle, ready for every eventuality.

 

Except…

 

“Kid!” A voice at the end of the corridor caused him to freeze in his tracks. Three stormtroopers were approaching. They lowered their blasters, and came to a halt several metres away.

 

“H – Han?” Luke managed, his voice cracked and uncertain. How in the galaxy was the smuggler here, of all places –

 

But he shouldn’t be surprised. His friend was resourceful. They’d infiltrated imperial bases before, together, Luke reflected. He considered the two others, trying to get a read on them.

 

One of the stormtroopers removed their helmet, and a long braid fell out, revealing Leia Organa’s face. The two others followed suit, and Han Solo and Wedge Antilles looked back at him.

 

“I…” Luke stammered. This was not at all how he’d expected this to go.

 

“We’re here to rescue you!” Han said, as though it was obvious.

 

“I don’t need rescuing!” Luke shouted, advancing on them. He didn’t draw his lightsaber yet, though he knew he should have.

 

“Luke…” Leia said, looking at him with an intense gaze. There was something there, something she wanted to say, Luke could feel it.

 

“You shouldn’t have come here.” Luke told them, fingers reaching for his weapon now.

 

“Listen, Luke! Vader sent us.” Han said.

 

Luke paused again. “Why would he send _you_? He… Vader doesn’t care about me. He left me here, alone!”

 

“He cares about you very much, Luke.” Leia said desperately. “He didn’t come with us, I’m sorry, but he cares. He practically begged us to find you and bring you back.”

 

Luke hesitated, torn between his feelings for his father, and his submission to the dark side.

 

“Get out of here, Luke.” Wedge said. “Come back with us.”

 

Luke shook violently. The suggestion was not unappealing, but he couldn’t understand. If his father wanted to see him, why send these… rebels. Luke’s loyalty had changed. He’d betrayed them all. Why would they risk so much to try and save him?

 

“I don’t understand. I –”

 

“Luke!” Leia said loudly. “This won’t be easy for you to hear but…” She took a deep breath. “I’m your sister. We’re twins.”

 

Luke took a deep, shaky breath.

 

“That can’t be.” He said, taking a small step back. “You’re lying.”

 

“Obi-Wan told me. I didn’t believe it either –”

 

“Obi-Wan is a liar!”

 

“Feel it!” Leia demanded, advancing on him. “Search your feelings. We’ve always had a bond. I have the Force too, I –”

 

“You’re the other Force-sensitive!” Luke exclaimed.

 

“Vader is my father too. We’re both strong with the Force.” She said. “I met Master Yoda, and he said the same. We were separated at birth, to hidden from Vader. It’s all true, Luke. Our mother was Padmé Amidala, and Vader was a Jedi. Think about it! We were both born on Empire day!”

 

Luke took another step back, reeling from Leia’s declarations. He’d never told Leia about Yoda, so how could she know about him? He’d never mentioned Padmé Amidala either – he hadn’t known about her before Vader told him… It made sense, but he didn’t want to hear it. It was too much.

 

He reached for his lightsaber, and the bright red light illuminated the corridor.

 

“It’s not true! It can’t be!”

 

Leia drew a lightsaber as well, hidden in the pouch strapped to her waist. Her blade was a brilliant green.

 

“Luke, you know it’s true! Come with us. Break free of the dark side before it’s too late.”

 

“I can’t. I have to bring you to the Emperor. I have no choice.”

 

Leia frowned. “I don’t want to fight you Luke, but if you won’t listen to me…”

 

Luke attacked first. Their blades met with a loud hiss, and Han and Wedge moved out of the way at once, startled. Leia’s stance was very good, and she parried skilfully, moving to the side. Luke reacted quickly, sidestepping around her to aim at her blind spot. She twirled on her heel, deflecting him once again.

 

He took a few steps back, considering her.

 

“Master Yoda taught you well I see.”

 

“He said I was the only hope for saving this family.” Leia said.

 

Luke laughed. “We’re not a family! We’re about as far from a family as we can be!”

 

“We can fix it! Come with us!”

 

Luke shouted in anger, attacking again. Leia met him easily, and they fought each other for several moments, blade against blade, dancing around each other in smooth movements. Leia was on the offensive, dodging and blocking his attacks, while Luke landed strike after strike, his actions fuelled by his rage.

 

“Luke stop!” Han shouted. “I may not like Vader, but it’s true! Leia is your sister, and we’re only here to help you!”

 

Luke snarled, and held out his hand. The Force pushed Han away, and the smuggler fell to the ground, holding his side in pain. Wedge rushed to his side, while Leia blocked Luke’s path, holding her lightsaber in front of her warningly.

 

“Leave me alone! You – you don’t know anything –”

 

Leia sighed, a tired sound. “Search your feelings, Luke.” She repeated.

 

Luke let his weapon down, though it stayed lit, and he stared, transfixed. It gave Leia the opening she needed, not to attack, but to advance on him gently with her arm outstretched. He flinched when her hand touched his, like a cornered animal.

 

“I’m sorry we didn’t know sooner. Things might have been different.”

 

“It can’t be true.” He said, though this time he wasn’t sure he believed it.

 

Leia smiled at him. “You know it is.”

 

Luke fell to his knees, his lightsaber switched off. He let out one sob, then calmed himself. Leia – his _sister_ – kneeled at his side, her hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright, Luke. Come with us.” She said again.

 

“I can’t.” He said quietly. “I…”

 

“Lord Skygge!” Jade came round the corner at a jog, her lightsaber lit too.

 

“Jade!” Luke turned to look at her, not knowing if he should be relieved to see her or not. She eyed Leia and her lightsaber.

 

“So, you’ve found them.” She paced along the corridor. “Nice to meet you, Princess.”

 

Leia sighed. “Who are you?”

 

“Doesn’t matter.” Jade said. “We have you. You’re coming with us.”

 

Luke stood on shaky legs, looking Leia in the eyes. “We’re bringing you to the Emperor. It’s time everything was out in the open.”

 

To his surprise, Leia nodded. She looked back at Wedge, who was supporting Han with an arm under his shoulder. “Let’s go then.” Leia said firmly. She stepped back to help Wedge with Han, placing her lightsaber back at her side. “No more hiding.” She told Luke.

 

He hesitated, then nodded. Jade looked confused for a moment, but followed them once they moved towards the main part of the palace. Han grimaced, moaning when he first took a step, but he soon recovered. The journey back to the throne room was silent and tense, and Luke thought everything over. Had Vader concealed Leia’s identity all this time? Why was she announcing herself only now? When had she had contact with the ghost of Obi-Wan? He had so many questions, his head was spinning with them.

 

But they soon arrived at their destination, and the ever-present red guards let them through to the throne room. The Emperor was still seated upon his throne, his eyes glowing like embers as he surveyed them.

 

Luke came to a halt and bowed, not removing his hand from where he held onto Leia’s arm.

 

“We found them easily, my Master.”

 

The Emperor sat back in his seat, and he looked rather unperturbed by the new arrivals.

 

“Princess Leia Organa.” He said, staring down at her. “So you are the Force user. I sensed your arrival as soon as you set foot here. Why have you come?”

 

She stood tall, lifting her chin up. “Vader is not as loyal to you as you think.”

 

“Ah, so Vader has betrayed me at last.” Palpatine said, sounding only mildly interested. “It was only a matter of time. What could your pitiful rebellion possibly offer him that I cannot, I wonder?”

 

Leia remained silent, and Luke did the same. He was still reeling from Leia’s announcement, and could not bring himself to be the one to tell Palpatine the truth. He couldn’t find the words.

 

“No matter.” Palpatine said. “As soon as Vader returns, young Skygge will duel him and take his place.” His yellowed eyes were fixed on Luke now. “What do _you_ make of all this, my young apprentice?”

 

“I…” Luke swallowed. He had so many questions for Leia, but it was not the time – this wasn’t the place. And he had already sworn loyalty to Palpatine, he should speak his mind, he should… But he couldn’t. He thought of his father, wherever he was, and was filled with equal parts sadness and hate. Vader would know what to do if he were here, he’d know what to say to appease the Emperor, and Luke wouldn’t be so worried. Luke took a breath, trembling with anticipation for whatever was about to happen.

 

“I sense the conflict in you.” Palpatine remarked, his eyes narrowed. “You are hesitating.”

 

“Princess Organa has been trained as a Jedi,” Luke said finally. “She must have come here with her friends to try and get rid of me.”

 

“Indeed.” Said the Emperor. “We shall soon find out if you are right. And you shall reveal the identity of your master, Princess Organa.”

 

“I’ll die before I tell you anything. We all will.” She glanced at her companions, and Han and Wedge both stood firm.

 

“Oh, I’m sure our interrogators will be more than capable of squeezing the information out of you before you die.” Palpatine said offhandedly.

 

“I’ve resisted Vader’s interrogation methods before!” Leia spat. “I will not talk.”

 

“We shall see, young princess. As for your companions… Lord Skygge will dispose of them immediately.”

 

Luke stiffened, staring at his old friends. He lit his lightsaber, but made no move to attack. He stood there for a long minute, his eyes fixed on Han’s, then Wedge’s. His own beating heart sounded so loud in his ears, blood rushing to his head as he imagined himself striking them down with his blade. A single word pulled him out of his visions, as Leia whispered; “Luke…”

 

“What is the matter, young Skygge?” Palpatine asked, his voice poisonous. “You are sworn to obey my every word. Why the hesitation?”

 

“My Master,” Jade interrupted. “If he will not do it, then I am more than capable –”

 

“Silence, Jade.” The Emperor said, still looking down at Luke. “Do it. Prove your loyalty to me and kill them. How do you expect to defeat Lord Vader if you cannot dispose of these worthless rebels?”

 

Luke shut his eyes and tightened his jaw. Vader… He felt sick now, at the thought of killing his father, the thought of obeying the Emperor. It was he who was the cause of all this. Vader might never have put Luke through all this if it weren’t for the Emperor. Luke might have pulled his father back to the light side from the very beginning, were Vader not chained to the darkness. Luke hadn’t understood at first, how Vader could be so loyal to his master, but he thought he could now. It was so hard for him to resist the order to kill his friends.

 

But the thought of his father was enough to sway him. If he killed Han and Wedge now, he would truly belong to Palpatine, and when Vader did return, Luke might have to obey the Emperor’s order to fight him. He imagined he could feel his father’s now familiar presence, and it was what gave him the strength he needed.

 

It was too late for him to come back to the light, but that was no reason for him to fall further.

 

“I will not.” Luke said, opening his eyes.

 

Palpatine looked back at him with a sour face, clearly not used to such disobedience.

 

“I will not kill my friends.”

 

“ _Your friends_ –”

 

“And I will not kill my father.” Luke added, watching the Emperor closely. He saw the realisation dawn on the old man, as though in slow motion, and his yellowed eyes widened ever so slightly.

 

“So that is how it is.” Palpatine snarled.

 

“My name is Luke Skywalker, and I am my own person. I will not be your slave. You’ve lost, your Majesty.”

 

“Foolish boy.” The Emperor stood. “Your fate shall be the same as these rebels’ then.”

 

“I don’t think so. Leia!” Luke turned to look at her.

 

“I’m with you, Luke.” She too lit her lightsaber, and fell into a defensive stance.

 

“Pitiful children.” Palpatine scoffed, and drew his own weapon, which had been concealed within his sleeve. He did not give them any more time to prepare as he jumped from the dais with a startling show of agility. But Luke knew better than to be surprised. He knew the cane Palpatine was often seen with was only pretence.

 

He saw Jade light her weapon too and, as Palpatine’s blade clashed against his, there was the hiss of a similar battle behind him. Leia had engaged Jade, probably to prevent her from stopping Luke. He pushed Palpatine away and jumped to the side, trying to get an opening. But the old Sith was alert, and his defence flawless.

 

There were blaster shots suddenly, and Luke saw Han and Wedge targeting Jade. She avoided them, managing to turn their fire back against them with her lightsaber, before she had to block Leia’s next attack.

 

Luke had to return his attention to his own fight then, when Palpatine advanced on him. He ducked around the attack, crouching to the side and aiming his next swing at Palpatine’s side. The Emperor’s red blade blocked him easily and he was forced to bend backwards to avoid the tip.

 

“Stay back!” The Emperor shouted then, and when Luke looked he saw a group of red guards had entered the room and were closing in on them. They paused, standing a distance away with obvious wariness. Luke tried to take advantage of the moment to land a blow, but Palpatine deflected it with a lazy flick of his hand.

 

Jumping backwards, Luke considered his options. He was obviously outmatched as a swordsman, but perhaps he could surprise the Emperor with another method of attack. He let out a cry, calling on all the power of the dark side he could muster, and held out a hand. The Emperor stumbled, but the push had not been enough to make him fall. Luke breathed deeply and ran forward with his blade at the ready, an obvious attack, but a swift one.

 

Palpatine only just managed to block him, but the next moment he aimed a powerful attack of his own and Luke shouted as his lightsaber was knocked out of his hand. It fell to the ground in two pieces, fizzling.

 

“I would not be defeated by such a pathetic weapon.” Palpatine hissed, scowling at the remains of the plain, spare lightsaber.

 

Luke jumped out of the way again, this time with no weapon to block with.

 

“Luke!” Leia came rushing to his side. Jade tried to follow, but Han and Wedge were still on her, making it difficult for her to get away. Their blasters were no match for her lightsaber, but they were skilled in hand-to-hand and had so far been able to avoid her blade. And Jade was no Sith.

 

The Emperor engaged Leia at once, advancing on her threateningly.

 

“I should have had you and your rebel father executed a long time ago,” he seethed. “It would have saved you the foolish hope that you could become a Jedi. The Jedi are no more and you shall soon perish just like the rest of them!”

 

“I may not be a Jedi, but I will not die that easily!” Leia snarled back and, amazingly, managed to land a blow. The Emperor’s robes sizzled from the heat, and a large hole was left burning on his upper arm.

 

He bared his teeth. “Enough of this.” His lightsaber disappeared back into the folds of his garment, and he held both his hands in front of him. Luke almost shouted at Leia to watch out, unsure if she knew how powerful a Force push could be, but that not what the Emperor had in mind.

 

A blast of blue-white energy shot out from the Emperor’s withered hands, and Luke rolled out of the way on reflex. Leia was not so lucky. She screamed as though on fire and, judging by her movements, that might have been less painful. She rolled onto her side, curling her body inwards as she continued to shout.

 

Luke stood transfixed. He couldn’t possibly overpower the Emperor with his lightsaber gone, and a quick look towards the others confirmed that Han, Wedge and Mara Jade were all still locked in combat. Though Han seemed rather distracted. He met eyes with Luke, and he looked so disgusted at him that Luke looked away almost immediately.

 

Han tried to make a run for Leia, but Jade stepped in his way, her lightsaber drawn.

 

_Her lightsaber…_

 

Luke’s eyes snapped back towards Leia and he saw that her own weapon had rolled a few feet away from her, now unlit.

 

Without taking the time to consider it, he called Leia’s lightsaber into his hand, stepped behind the Emperor, and pressed the button to draw the blade.

 

The green strobe of light went clean through Palpatine’s back, and Luke knew he’d managed to pierce his heart. The Emperor spasmed, a final breath rattling out of him. For good measure, Luke swung Leia’s blade to the side, slicing open the upper portion of his torso, and kicked the Emperor’s body to the floor.

 

Leia’s screams stopped, though she remained sprawled on the floor for several moments more. Luke heard other shouts, no doubt a mix of Han and Wedge, and Jade, but he didn’t hear what they said exactly. His eyes were fixed on the crumpled heap that had been the Emperor of the Galaxy, and his heartbeat pounding through his ears.

 

He’d done it – him, Luke Skywalker from Tatooine – he’d killed the most powerful man in existence, and freed both himself and his father from his clutches. He fell to his knees slowly, throwing Leia’s lightsaber away, close to where she was still lying down.

 

“Luke!” He heard Han’s voice, before feeling the smuggler’s presence near.

 

“Don’t – don’t go near him, Han.” Leia choked out, having sat up now. She was looking at Luke carefully. But she had no time to speak her mind as the red guards now stood around them, one kneeling next to Palpatine’s body, the others looking straight at Luke.

 

“Lord Skygge.” One of them spoke. “Your orders?”

 

“Orders?”

 

Silence. Then…

 

“As an apprentice of His Majesty’s, you were in line to become Emperor. With Lord Vader absent…”

 

“But I _killed_ him.” Luke blurted out. If anything he expected to be arrested, not… whatever this was.

 

“An act we assumed Lord Vader would carry out one day.” Another red guard said. “But since you have fulfilled that role, we acknowledge you as Emperor Palpatine’s successor.”

 

In shock, Luke had no answer to that. He shook his head slowly and considered the other occupants of the room. Han and Wedge had their mouths slightly open, staring openly at Luke, while Leia looked worried. Jade was unreadable. She spoke to him first.

 

“What of these rebels, Skygge?”

 

Luke took a long breath. “Have them incarcerated, until I decide what to do with them.”

 

“What?” Han managed, though he seemed in shock as well.

 

“Han… Calm down.” Leia told him, weakly. “I’m sure he has a plan.” Her eyes pleaded at Luke, and he looked away.

 

He stood, his legs shaking. “Well? Take them away.” Four guards nodded and hastened to obey. With encouragement from Leia, Han and Wedge allowed themselves to be captured, and their weapons taken. Another group of guards busied themselves with Palpatine’s body. Luke didn’t inquire as to what they planned to do with it. He really could not care less.

 

At the end only Jade remained, and she stood beside him silently, waiting.

 

“What will you do, Jade?” Luke asked finally, once they were completely alone.

 

“My job is to serve the Emperor, whoever that may be. I held no particular feelings for His Majesty Palpatine. He was a cruel Master.”

 

“So you’re free.” Luke said.

 

“Free from him, yes.” She agreed. “Do you not want me to stay and serve you?”

 

Luke grimaced. The statement felt bizarre, especially coming from her. “Do what you want. I don’t care either way, and I won’t force you to stay.”

 

She looked at him for a long moment, then sighed and clipped her lightsaber back at her side. “I have nowhere else to go.” She shrugged. “I’ll leave you be for now. If you need me, you have my comm.” She waited for him to nod, then gave a tiny bow and was gone.

 

Luke followed not long after, stepping out of the throne room silently. Two guards stood at the door as usual, and they nodded to him as he passed. He ducked out of the Palace, standing in the central plaza for some air, and remained there for a long time, thinking.

 

Leia Organa was his sister. It was as shocking a revelation to him as the one Vader had surprised him with years ago on the _Death Star_ , yet… not. He thought of her, though it was painful, and found that it felt natural. Their bond had already been special, akin to that of siblings. They could feel when the other was near, but he now knew that had to be attributed to the Force.

 

But he couldn’t let her or the others go free. Not until he talked to Leia, really talked. And he could not leave Coruscant. He knew his father would come back to him as soon as he heard the news of Palpatine’s death. What happened after that was unknown, and Luke was not skilled in predicting the future. Even recently he’d had visions of himself confronting his father, usually with a lightsaber duel. But with Palpatine dead, that outcome seemed unlikely.

 

By killing the Emperor, had Luke changed the course of his destiny?

 

It was getting cold, so Luke reluctantly returned to his residence in his father’s castle. He doubted anyone would have need of him tonight, and he longed for sleep. The galaxy could wait a while for its new Emperor.

.

.

.

.

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Vader stalked the halls of the Death Star II, busy observing the various employees and workers on board, though he was rather distracted. He was waiting impatiently for any news coming from Coruscant. His mind considered a hundred different options. They could have been discovered as soon as they set foot on Coruscant, but no… Surely he’d have heard about it from his Master.

 

Then perhaps they had found Luke, and were back on route here, or Luke had engaged them in battle, and, what? Leia would have revealed her true relationship to Luke, surely, and his son would not kill her if he knew… Was he angry with Vader for hiding this fact from him? Had he damaged their relationship beyond repair by not trusting Luke with the information?

 

There were too many possibilities, and it drove Vader wild. He kept his eye out for any incompetence, fingers itching to strangle the life out of somebody, just to help contain his anger and helplessness.

 

Several times he thought maybe he should have accompanied the group to Coruscant himself. How could he be so foolish, trusting Admiral Piett with this?

 

But his loyalty to his Master stopped him, like something caught in his throat, and he could not breathe properly. Yet he worried for Luke. If Palpatine had turned him over, made his son loyal to himself, would Luke obey an order to kill Vader? Was there no hope for him anymore?

 

Stuck in his thoughts as he was, Vader did not immediately realise there was a commotion around him. Some unfortunate officer bumped into him in his haste to get to the other side of the room, and Vader grabbed him by the neck.

 

“What is the meaning of this?” He looked around at all the people who had suddenly gathered. His hold on the officer was not strong, so the man could still breathe, though he still hesitated for a moment, apparently too shocked to speak.

 

“L – Lord Vader. Apologies! There’s an emergency transmission from Imperial Centre…”

 

Vader let the man go, and abandoned all dignity, pushing through the small crowd of people to get to the front. It wasn’t hard; people jumped out of his way as soon as they saw it was him, and he was soon standing in front of the holo. A human news anchor was making an announcement, and in the corner there was an image of the Imperial Palace seen from above.

 

‘– his cause of death is not yet known. The apprentice of Lord Vader’s known as Darth Skygge has already been named Emperor of the Galaxy, but we were not able to get a statement, either from this new Emperor, or any of his aides. We repeat, for anybeing just joining us: Emperor Palpatine has passed away and is succeeded by the young Lord Darth Skygge…’

 

Vader stared at the hologram unseeing, drowning out the woman’s voice. He was very aware however that everyone else in the room was staring at him.

 

“Get back to work all of you.” He growled, and everybody rushed to obey him. Vader stood watching the holo on repeat for a minute or two before shaking himself out of it. He was needed back on Coruscant.

 

He stormed down all the way to his assigned hangar, and located one of his ships. This one was brand new and was assigned to one of his pilots, but Vader didn’t care to find the man. This was not anybody else’s concern, and he definitely didn’t want to spend time in hyperspace with someone else right now.

 

Ignoring the officer trying to ask him what he was doing, he boarded the shuttle and began takeoff preparations. As he sat in the cockpit, waiting, he considered what he was about to do. He had no idea how he felt about this. The part of his mind that had been linked to Palpatine’s presence had been severed, and for the first time in his existence he had no one to answer too.

 

Except… He had Luke to return to. He’d left his son on rather bad terms last time. He had to make it right.

 

Flight prep finished, he closed the boarding ramp and took off. When an officer hailed him to know his identity and authorisation code he snarled at the man to mind his business, and he was let out of the hangar without any trouble.

 

With a heavy feeling in his gut, he engaged the hyperdrive, and left in direction of Imperial Centre.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feel free to come talk to me on tumblr at drthcaedus, or tag me in stuff! I love it when people do that


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